


Aftermath

by CanineKitten



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betaed, Bottom Uchiha Sasuke, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past sexual experience with dubious consent, Post-War, Slow Burn, Top Uzumaki Naruto, Unresolved Sexual Tension, so much UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanineKitten/pseuds/CanineKitten
Summary: Naruto is tired of seeing Sasuke leave again and again. This time he’s going with him.----Betaed by heartsns
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 269
Kudos: 605
Collections: Best of SNS, Extraordinary SNS Fics💕, Foxy fox 🦊, Sasunaru fics to live for





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to think of something to say but my brain is mush... I'm so tired. I guess the tags says it all. This fic is really self-indulgent tbh. There won't be much of a plot and the journey is mostly focused on them figuring out their feelings. I hope you'll enjoy ^^

Sakura kneeled between them.

”You idiots,” she said, her voice shaking.

She leant over Naruto, her hands glowing green. She refused to even look at Sasuke.

”Are you happy now?” she said. ”You got to beat the crap out of each other for no goddamn reason whatsoever. Is that enough, or are you gonna continue with this bullshit?”

Her swearing shocked Naruto. She really looked mad. Her face was pale and her lips were two thin lines drained of blood.

”See to him first,” Naruto said. ”You know I heal fast.”

Sakura hesitated for a very long moment before she almost reluctantly turned to Sasuke and started healing him. Sasuke didn’t say a word, just lay there quietly trying to catch her eyes, and when that didn’t work he looked away.

Naruto didn’t know what was going on, but he didn’t like it.

A group of medic nin carried them on stretchers to a medic tent, where they were placed on beds next to each other. Naruto was glad they weren’t separated. Keeping Sasuke close calmed him. Sakura continued healing Naruto while a different medic took over healing Sasuke. Naruto glanced over several times but Sasuke never met his gaze. After a while it seemed like he had fallen asleep. Eventually, Naruto fell asleep too.

He woke up gasping in semi-darkness. He looked around desperately until his gaze landed on Sasuke who was sleeping calmly in the bed next to him. Naruto got up and sat down on the edge of Sasuke’s bed. Watching him sleep calmed him. It had been so long since he looked at that face and didn’t meet a mask of indifference or a grimace of hatred. Not once since Sasuke left Konoha had Naruto really gotten a chance to watch him. He was calm now, relaxed in his sleep. His constant frown was gone and he looked peaceful. Naruto reached out for his right hand, lying on top of the covers. It was cold. He tucked it underneath the blanket and pulled the blanket up to Sasuke’s throat.

Then he hesitated, leaning over Sasuke.

Sasuke’s breathing was calm. His eyes didn’t move under his eyelids. Naruto knew there was a certain chance that he was awake and pretending to be asleep. Shinobi normally didn’t sleep this heavily.

He sat up straight again and remained there, his left hand resting on the spot where Sasuke’s left hand normally would have been.

When he woke up again in the morning, Sakura was sitting on a chair near his bedside. She was leaning over his bed, her head resting on the mattress, sleeping. Naruto noticed, with a sinking feeling in his chest, that she was sitting on the side of his bed that was farthest from Sasuke.

They let Naruto heal enough that he could travel on his own two feet before they started the journey back to Konoha. Sasuke didn’t wake up from his sleep. Naruto raged towards the medics, but they were just following orders. Sasuke was to be kept in artificial sleep until he could be locked away in Konoha.

Naruto didn’t get to meet Sasuke again after they returned to Konoha. He saw him during the trials, but he wished he hadn’t. Sasuke seemed skinnier and more tiredeach time Naruto saw him. His eyes were always covered and his right arm was tightly secured around his body, his hand forced into a contraption that didn’t allow him to move his fingers. No one wanted to take chances in case he’d be able to make seals with only one hand.

Naruto was the only one who met Sasuke outside when he finally was released from prison on a mild September morning a year after his detainment.

Sakura still hadn’t forgiven him and Kakashi had his duties to attend to. Naruto had been tasked with showing Sasuke the small apartment that he’d live in for now, since his former home was in ruins.

When Naruto first laid eyes on Sasuke that morning, he was shocked by how lifeless he looked. The last time he saw him up close like this was after their fight, and back then Sasuke had still been full of life and vitality.

This Sasuke wasn’t. 

Naruto tried to fill the silence with chit-chat as he showed Sasuke the way to the apartment complex, but Sasuke didn’t even seem to register that he was talking. Naruto was just happy to finally be close to Sasuke again, so he wasn’t bothered by Sasuke’s silence.

“Kakashi made sure that an apartment was provided for you,” Naruto said as he opened the door to the small flat. “This whole complex was built to house people who don’t have a home or can’t afford a home after the war.”

He opened the window in the living room/kitchen. They were on the eighth floor and the building was sitting right in the glare of the bright midday sun. There was nothing around them high enough to provide shelter, and the building itself was just a huge slab of concrete with holes for windows. It was honestly a really ugly construction.

Sasuke walked slowly through the fifteen-square-meters living room, past the small kitchen in the corner, opened one door to look into the tiny bathroom that barely had room for a toilet, a sink and a narrow shower stall, and then moved one step across the hall to open the door to the bedroom where there was just enough room for a single bed and a wardrobe.

“It doesn’t look that great now,” Naruto said, “but with a few plants…”

“It’s fine,” Sasuke said softly.

He placed the keys on the worn kitchen table.

“The Uchiha district is still yours, of course,” Naruto rambled, “But the construction work is going slow thanks to the complete ruin…”

“It’s fine,” Sasuke repeated a little more sharply. “It’s better than a prison cell.”

Naruto tapped the toe of one shoe against the heel of the other. “Yeah...”

He wanted to ask how prison had been, but Sasuke seemed to be in a bad mood so he figured it wasn’t a good idea. Sasuke had been locked up with the intention of never being let out again, but thanks to his considerable help during the war, and the fact Kakashi, Naruto and all their other friends from the academy had been vouching for him, he had been pardoned.

That was a better result than anyone could have hoped for, even though it meant Sasuke could never be allowed into active duty again.

“Well…” Naruto said eventually, “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

He half hoped that Sasuke would stop him, but Sasuke just turned his back on him as though he’d already left.

Naruto decided to give Sasuke some space. He had become better at putting himself in Sasuke’s place to understand him, but honestly it was not very difficult to understand him this time. Sasuke was basically back to scratch; no family, no goal, not even a place to truly call his home. To him, Konoha would always be a tainted place after the things that he had learned.

That’s why it shouldn’t have come as such a shock when Sasuke, barely a few weeks after his release, asked Kakashi for permission to leave Konoha again. He said that he wanted to travel around the world, to see for himself what was going on out there, and to use his newfound clarity to figure out things that he hadn’t given much thought before.

Naruto heard it all from Kakashi. Sasuke hadn’t told him a thing.

He ran all the way over to Sasuke’s apartment that afternoon, catching Sasuke just as he was going outside.

Naruto had to catch his breath from his headlong run. It had been weeks since he last saw Sasuke.

“So Kakashi told you,” Sasuke said calmly. 

“You can’t leave me again!” Naruto yelled. He didn’t realize what he was saying until the words were out. Something twisted painfully in his chest. “You just got here!”

Sasuke turned away. “I can’t stay… I-”

“Don’t leave. Please.”

For a long moment Sasuke didn’t answer. Then he said slowly, softly, “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”

“I’m not…” Naruto struggled to find words. What did Sasuke even mean? “I just… It’s too early.”

“Well,” Sasuke said. “This isn’t about you.”

Then he pushed past Naruto.

\------

Sasuke hoped Naruto would see him off at the gates together with Kakashi, but he wasn’t surprised when he didn’t show up. Sasuke figured that this was it. He had finally managed to ruin whatever it was that they had. But then he turned a bend in the road, and took a double take when he saw Naruto standing at the edge of the trees. Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat and flew up into his throat. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until now, when he could finally breathe again.

Naruto didn’t say a word. He just offered Sasuke his old forehead protector. Sasuke stared at it.

Had Naruto really kept it for all those years?

He took it gingerly. Naruto didn’t let go of it at first and they stood there, both holding onto it, their fingers mere inches apart. Sasuke met Naruto’s piercing blue gaze.

It was strange, but for a moment it felt like time froze. Sasuke knew that something passed between them. Something significant. In his chest, something unwound. He nearly took a step closer, to touch Naruto, to hold him… he wasn’t sure.

But then Naruto did it instead. He hugged Sasuke tightly, his breath warm against Sasuke’s throat. Sasuke felt an electric pulse rush through his body, all the way down to his toes. He froze.

Naruto let go quickly and took a step back. He looked at the ground. “So… Bye then.”

Neither of them moved.

Sasuke was just about to lift his hand to touch Naruto’s arm, to let him know it was okay, but Naruto moved away all of a sudden. He sprinted down the road and was out of sight in the matter of seconds.

\------

They kept in touch through messages, even though Naruto hated writing. He didn’t like making people aware of the fact that he was nearly illiterate, especially not Sasuke who always had been good at everything. Naruto could write simple messages, using words that he knew well, but his vocabulary hadn’t improved much since middle school. He’d never had parents to keep him in line and getting out of schoolwork had been his favorite hobby.

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn’t comment on Naruto’s horrible writing or make fun of his lacking vocabulary. Instead he accommodated by answering with shorter messages and using simple words, though after a while he started throwing in a few more challenging words so that he, even from across the world, could have the pleasure of teaching Naruto something he didn’t know.

Naruto waited impatiently for each new message from Sasuke. In the beginning he’d get frequent replies, maybe every other week, but it didn’t take long before the messages became few and far between. Naruto was barely able to restrain himself from sending another message when one and then two months passed without a reply. But Sasuke always replied in the end, even if it was just to gently chastise Naruto for his intelligible handwriting or rambling stories.

Once, his message simply read ‘Usuratonkachi.’

Naruto sent a message back telling Sasuke in no uncertain terms how rude it was to answer a carefully thought out message with only one word, but secretly he was pleased that Sasuke had answered even if it was only with that one, simple word.

Naruto could imagine the exact tone of voice Sasuke would use if he had been there to say it in person. He envisioned the small smirk on his face, and it made something inside of him flutter excitedly.

Every night when he went to bed he lay awake for a while, wondering what Sasuke was doing and where he was right in that moment. Maybe he was camping in the forest, or maybe he’d taken in at a motel in some small, backwater village.

He fell asleep thinking about Sasuke peacefully sleeping under the stars.

\-----

The whole time Sasuke was away, Sakura watched over Naruto. She saw what Sasuke did to him, even when he wasn’t there, or rather, especially when he wasn’t there. Naruto had moped for months after Sasuke left. He wouldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. He kept staring blankly into space and when someone caught him doing it, he’d pretend like it was nothing and overcompensate by being extra boisterous.

It hurt Sakura to see him like that, because she’d been through the exact same thing herself. Before, when she still was in love with Sasuke, she had found comfort in the fact that Naruto was as lost as her. Now she saw how much Sasuke hurt those who loved him and she wanted to stop it.

She wished there was some way she could help Naruto get over Sasuke.

As time passed, Naruto got over the worst of the hurt and started becoming more himself again. Sakura noticed that Hinata seemed to have a huge crush on him and she figured that it couldn’t hurt to try bringing them closer. She wasn’t entirely sure about Naruto’s sexual orientation, but he seemed to be able to fall in love with both girls and boys, since he’d obviously felt something for both her and Sasuke.

It was worth a try.

But Naruto was completely oblivious to Hinata’s feelings, no matter how much Sakura hinted about it. He saw her only as a friend, and eventually Sakura gave up. She regretted having gotten Hinata’s hopes up.

She’d just have to hope that Sasuke never came back, but that was a futile hope and she knew it.

\-----

The first time Naruto saw Sasuke again after his two-year absence, he almost didn’t recognize him. Sasuke had gained a few more inches in height – though Naruto had grown too so they were still nearly even – and he looked leaner and sharper and more mature.

Naruto had to collect his jaw from the ground after having unexpectedly spotted Sasuke in a crowded street in Konoha. Sasuke had always been handsome, but now he was just… wow.

Naruto didn’t announce himself as he approached Sasuke. Instead he waited for the other man to notice him. It didn’t take long before Sasuke looked up from the vegetables he’d been perusing at the table of a vendor. He looked straight at Naruto, as though he’d known he’d find him right there.

It had been so long since they last saw each other that for a second, Naruto wasn’t sure how to approach. But then Sasuke looked at him with eyes that softened in recognition, an almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips, and Naruto felt right at home. 

Sasuke had changed during the two years they had been apart. He was more relaxed and seemed more at ease. He talked about rebuilding the old Uchiha district and donating most of it to charity.

“It could be made into an orphanage,” he said.

It was obvious he’d been thinking about this a lot.

Naruto liked the idea. After Kakashi became Hokage, there had been more focus on those things; orphanages, support for shinobi that had been injured after the war, and so on, but there was still so much else to focus on that any extra help was sorely needed.

As days and then weeks passed, Naruto got apprehensive. He knew that Sasuke could leave again at any moment. He kept asking Kakashi about it, but he knew nothing more than Naruto did. Then an idea formed in Naruto’s head.

He hated being the one that waited all the time, the one that hoped, wished, longed. Something had to be done about it, and now was the perfect time to do it.

“I talked to Kakashi,” Naruto said casually one day, “and he agreed to give me leave for a year. He said it was a good idea to go out and see the world. It could teach me a lot of things that can be useful as a Hokage.”

Sasuke watched Naruto incredulously. “So you’re leaving Konoha?”

Naruto shrugged. “We could probably keep each other company for a while, if you want.”

Sasuke shook his head, the shadow of a smile on his lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Hey, you don’t get to be the only one to leave!” Naruto crossed his arms. “Now it’s my turn.”

“Sure, as if you weren’t counting on leaving together with me.”

Naruto sniffed. “I don’t care what you do. You can do whatever you like, and so can I.”

Sasuke’s expression softened. There was definitely a smile on his face now. “Usuratonkachi.”

\-----

Sakura didn’t like Naruto’s plans.

“So you’re getting a year of leave just to wander around with Sasuke,” she said flatly.

“I didn’t say that-“

“You didn’t need to! You’re so obvious, Naruto…” She sighed. “Just… be careful, okay?”

Naruto puffed out his chest. “I’m always careful, Sakura-chan. Careful is my middle name!”

“I thought it was Knucklehead,” Sakura said.

Naruto blew her a raspberry.

Sakura shook her head. “But that’s not what I meant. Be careful around Sasuke.”

“He’s not gonna try to hurt me,” Naruto said, “and even if he did,” he flexed, “I’d stop him.”

“It’s not…” Sakura sighed. “I’m not talking about physical hurt.”

Naruto frowned. “What d’ya mean?”

Sakura opened her mouth, but shut it again as she saw someone appear in the doorway to the restaurant. A tall, dark clad man who searched the establishment with his eyes before they landed on Naruto.

Sakura froze. What was he doing here?

Naruto noticed her rigid gaze, and turned. He brightened and waved at Sasuke. “Hey bastard, over here!”

Sasuke hesitated, sending Sakura a wary glance, before he made his way over to them.

“I don’t want to interrupt anything,” he said.

“It’s fine!” Naruto scooted over to make room for Sasuke. “Come on, join us.”

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and gave Sasuke a challenging look. She had to admit that the way Sasuke looked so contrite really was making her a tiny bit more lenient. She didn’t get up and leave, as she would have done before.

Sasuke finally sat down and snatched a dumpling from Naruto’s plate. Naruto leant over behind Sasuke’s back to signal to a waiter. His arm casually rested on the back of Sasuke’s seat as he moved back into his spot again.

Sakura sent that casual hand red hot daggers with her eyes.

Were they already together? Or was it just Naruto’s usual camaraderie? She wouldn’t have thought twice about it if Naruto did this to any other of their friends, but with Sasuke it was different. Sasuke was notoriously protective of his personal space. He could sense a fly coming into his orbit at a five-foot distance. She had seen him glare bloody murder at people in the street because they came too close, though admittedly that had been many years ago.

But she had a feeling that he hadn’t changed that much. He was simply used to Naruto’s presence. Perhaps he even encouraged it.

The waiter came over and they ordered another round of beverages.

“So,” Naruto said, “are you two planning to talk anytime soon?”

Sakura huffed. “What are you talking about? We talk plenty. Right, Sasuke?”

Sasuke shrugged. He seemed unsure about the situation.

Good, she thought. Then she felt a bit bad.

It wasn’t like Sasuke had been entirely himself… back then. Naruto knew that, and she knew that too. She also knew that Sasuke felt enough guilt without her piling onto it. That didn’t mean that she didn’t want him to really, **really** feel the ramifications of what he’d done, though. Naruto might be a saint, but she wasn’t.

Sasuke had hurt her. Not by rejecting her, that was within his right, but by completely disregarding her value as a human being. At least he’d still respected Naruto, even at his worst. That was more than he had given her.

Sakura placed some money on the table for the food she had eaten and got to her feet.

“I have to go,” she said, ignoring Sasuke and looking only at Naruto. “Bye.”

\-----

Sasuke stared into his untouched cup of green tea. Neither of them had spoken a word since Sakura left.

Naruto grabbed the pink lemonade that Sakura had ordered but hadn’t stayed to drink, and sipped it.

“She’ll come around,” he said.

Sasuke shook his head. “No.” He sighed. “I understand her. I would have done the same thing myself.”

Naruto reached out, about to place a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, but changed his mind at the last minute. “She’s not really the type to hold grudges. I know she’ll forgive you eventually.”

Sasuke leant back in his seat. “I’m not sure I want her to.”

Naruto didn’t know what to say to that. He stared down into the lemonade.

“She deserves better friends,” Sasuke added.

Naruto bopped the back of Sasuke’s head. “Stop talking down about yourself. You did some bad things but that’s not who you are. What Sakura does is her choice, and what you do is yours, but don’t let yourself down just because others do.”

He had gulped down half of the lemonade when he noticed the look Sasuke was giving him.

“Okay,” Sasuke said slowly, “when did you become so smart?”

Naruto smiled proudly. “I’ve always been smart.”

There was a moment of silence and then Sasuke said, “Did someone transplant your brain?”

Naruto smacked the smirk off Sasuke’s face. “This is why you don’t have friends!”

There was a quiet agreement between them that they would leave Konoha together. In late spring they packed up and set off, not knowing where they were headed. The moment Naruto set foot outside the gates of Konoha, he felt a rush of freedom. For the first time in his life, he was leaving Konoha without his hitai-ate. He’d never left it behind since he first attained it, but now it felt right to let it go for a while. To leave, not as a shinobi, not a war hero, not a soldier, but just as an ordinary man.

He laughed as he raced Sasuke through the treetops. They started an unspoken contest to see which one of them was the fastest, strongest and nimblest as they pushed each other to the limit, zipping through the foliage like bolts of lightning, feet hitting sturdy branches lightly as feathers before pushing off again, leaving the whole tree swaying.

They didn’t stop until they were out of breath, and even then it was only because they knew that they needed to preserve their energy for the rest of the days journey. They landed on a wide field of grass exactly at the same time, panting and sweating. Naruto felt elated.

“I was first!” he exclaimed, even though he knew it was a draw.

Sasuke snorted. “It was clearly me who was first.”

They bickered good-naturedly as they started walking. It was a beautiful day with barely a single cloud in the wide, blue sky. A soft breeze cooled them after their race. As they lapsed into comfortable silence, Naruto tilted his head up, enjoying the warm sunlight and the company and the simple fact that he was alive and well in that moment. 


	2. Seashells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're going to be traveling through a lot of new countries, some of which are loosely based on places that are mentioned in the show, but most of which are just completely made up. I let my imagination have free reign here. I'm considering adding a map, but I haven't gotten around to drawing one yet...

They set course eastwards, towards the nearest port, and got onto a ship that took them across the sea towards the lands on the other side of the Land of Water. In other words, they were headed out of the shinobi nations. Naruto complained the entire time about how they should have gone north or east, how he wanted to see the broken isles and the misty swamps on the other side of the desert.

“I’ve been north,” Sasuke said. “There’s nothing more than rocks and ice there.”

“But did you go to the broken isles? Did you see the sea monster?!”

“No.”

Naruto groaned. “What’s so interesting in the east, anyway? I’ve heard they don’t even have shinobi.”

“But they have other things.”

“Like what?”

“Like civilized societies that don't go into war with each other every decade.”

Naruto huffed.

Once they approached the Seaside Port in the Land of Seashells, Sasuke put on an eye patch that hid his rinnegan. It was revealing enough when he traveled within the shinobi nations, but outside of them it would only be unnecessarily frightening and noticeable. He wanted to blend in as much as he could.

Naruto, of course, had to voice his opinion.

“You look like a pirate.”

“Shut up, Naruto.”

“No, wait…” He snorted. “You look like Ao.”

Sasuke glared at him. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up.” He grabbed his chest dramatically. “Just don’t _glare_ me to death.”

Naruto thankfully shut up when they, after five exhausting days on the sea, finally came out of the fog only to be greeted by an almost excessively bright sunlight that glinted off the miles and miles of shimmering white beaches that were so characteristic for the Land of Seashells.

“It should have been called the Land of Beaches,” Naruto said, mesmerized.

He couldn’t wait until they arrived, and once they did he ran off down to the beach and threw himself headfirst into the sand. Sasuke pretended he didn’t know him and dodged the puzzled locals that had stopped to stare.

When Naruto finally was done rolling around in the sand, he started pouring all his excessive energy into exploring the small port town. Despite its modest size, the place was bustling with life. It was made out of colorful, tall houses standing so close to each other that it seemed like they were leaning onto each other, and a narrow cobble street that winded up along the hillside.

It was getting late so Sasuke wanted to find an inn. There weren’t many choices, but luckily the one closest to the port had an available room.

While Sasuke quickly had gotten used to the rocking movements of the boat, Naruto had been sick from day one. He’d barely gotten a wink of sleep for five days, so when they entered the small room with the window looking out on the bay, he immediately passed out on one of the narrow beds. Sasuke went outside again and walked around town alone, buying a map and stocking up on provisions. He considered buying some new clothes as well. He hadn’t given much thought to what he was wearing for the past few years, but now he found that it was time to change out of the threadbare, old standard issue shinobi garb.

He’d have to wait for a bit longer, though. The little money he had wouldn’t last long, and he wanted to get away from the port and head towards a larger town as soon as possible.

When he returned to the inn, it was getting dark and Naruto was still asleep. Sasuke found that he was tired too. It had been a long and tiresome journey. He didn’t enjoy traveling by sea and sleeping in a bed that wasn’t moving was a relief.

The next few days were surprisingly nice. Naruto was a better travel companion than Sasuke had expected. He had considered leaving him behind if he talked too much, but most of the time Naruto kept silent, seemingly too amazed by everything around him to have time for words. In the evening, they were both tired and didn’t talk much before one of them went to sleep while the other kept watch.

The days passed like that, in a comforting routine that lulled Sasuke into a sense of deep contentment. No one else but Naruto could give him this feeling. When he travelled by himself, he always felt like something was missing, and whenever he was among other people it soon felt too overwhelming. But with Naruto everything felt just right. Even when Naruto babbled on about something he’d seen or found or something that reminded him of something else back in Konoha, it felt soothing to listen.

Sasuke didn’t wonder why it was that way with Naruto and no one else. He just accepted that it was so and enjoyed finally having him near again. He hadn’t been aware of how much he had missed him until now when they were together again.

He didn’t dwell on the fact that once a year had passed, this would be over and Naruto would go back to Konoha and move on with his life while Sasuke would be forever stuck in the past with only the memories of times like these to keep him going forward.

\------

Naruto had never before been this aware of how intimate it was to travel together with someone. It had never troubled him to undress in front of other guys and he had never felt like he had to look away when a man undressed in front of him. They didn’t even take off that much clothes. When they slept outside, they might take off their jacket and shoes. But even when they slept inside, Sasuke rarely took off his pants and shirt. And yet, Naruto’s eyes were drawn to him, involuntarily. To his chest, to his collarbone, to his wrist, to a sliver of his stomach being revealed when his shirt rode up. It was driving him insane.

What the fuck was so special about Sasuke’s wrist anyway? It had always been there. He’d never felt this weird need to stare at it before. Come to think of it, though, Sasuke always wore something covering his wrists before, some sort of arm guards or gloves or… Naruto felt an involuntary full-body shiver as he thought about those arm guard or gloves or whatever the fuck they were that had covered Sasuke’s arms up to his biceps. A man had no right to be so good-looking in that kind of get-up.

It was difficult enough to look at him in those revealing shirts of his, imagining him taking them off were just… too much.

Holy fuck… Not those dreams again. He couldn’t, not now.

They had haunted his sixteen-year-old self. Dreams of Sasuke suddenly appearing in front of him, his scent overwhelmingly close and familiar, and his chest… his goddamn chest exposed, right in front of Naruto’s face, so fucking close… At the time it had happened, it had been more devastating than exciting, seeing as their conversation hadn’t exactly been uplifting, but in the months and years that followed, it was the carnal part of the incident that stuck with him.

Sasuke so close, so devastatingly close and yet so far out of reach.

He had dreamt of Sasuke dropping that half-open shirt, had dreamt that he placed his arms around Naruto’s neck, that he leant in, his breath ghosting over Naruto’s lips… The first time he woke up from that kind of dream, he was in complete denial, promising himself that he’d never, ever think of that dream again, convincing himself that it meant nothing.

But the dream returned, again and again, and the agonizing mortification was combined with pleasure and a short reprieve from his longing.

He had told Sasuke that he was his friend. That he followed him to the end of the world because he was his friend. But that was not true. Sasuke was so much more to him, he was something to him that he couldn’t explain. He was a friend, a crush, his one true love, probably his soulmate, if such a thing existed.

The word friend didn’t even begin to explain how he felt about Sasuke, but it was the only word he dared to use.

Their journey took them through increasingly beautiful landscapes. As they continued through big and small villages, they soon noticed how modernized these places were. In the beginning the villages had been small and made out of rickety houses basically stacked on top of each other, but as they ventured further into the country, closer to the capital, the villages changed. They became more luxurious, more beautiful, more striking. Even the cheapest inns had air-conditioning, which was a good thing in this heat.

Speaking of the heat. Unfortunately, Sasuke had taken to traveling without wearing his jacket. Even he had to succumb to this heat, although he normally didn’t even break a sweat during the hottest days in Konoha.

Anyway, Sasuke traveling without his jacket meant he was on full display in that shirt.

That goddamn threadbare shirt. When would Sasuke learn to find a shirt that actually covered him up? Naruto wanted to tear that thing apart by its tattered seams… which honestly wasn’t the mental image he needed. What he had meant was that he’d like it to get ruined so Sasuke had to get a new one that hopefully covered his sinfully delicate collarbones better. He’d never thought he’d go insane over some fucking collarbones but when Sasuke was involved, anything was possible.

\------

It was their sixth day of travel in the Land of Seashells, and they had taken in at a small but cozy inn in a small village at the crest of a hill. It was the middle of the night when Sasuke woke up without a clue as to why. He listened carefully, but all he could hear was Naruto’s heavy breathing. The room was small and sparse, but the mattresses were comfortable. They were placed really close to each other, though, and Sasuke could hear every small breath Naruto made. That must have been what woke him up. Naruto was groaning in his sleep.

Sasuke listened, wondering if it was a nightmare, considering whether he should wake him up or let the dream take its course. He was leaning towards the latter and had allowed himself to start drifting off to sleep when he heard a new, different sound from Naruto. Suddenly Sasuke was wide-awake.

Naruto wasn’t having a nightmare. No, this was much worse. He was having a wet dream. Sasuke listened intently and wished at the same time that he could turn off his hearing, just this once. But instead, his hearing seemed to have increased in strength. He could trace each one of Naruto’s quick puffs of breath, could practically feel his occasional small whimpers travel like lightning up his spine.

This was a new kind of torture unlike anything he’d experienced before. He considered kicking Naruto so that he’d wake up, but he knew that it would just make the situation so much worse because Naruto would realize that Sasuke had woken him up because he’d noticed…

Finally, Naruto woke himself up. He gasped, choking out some unintelligible word.

Sasuke wondered if he’d just heard what Naruto sounded like when he came. Moments later, Naruto got up and left the room, probably to go to the bathroom down the hall. Sasuke now had his own problem to attend to. He was hard. 

He closed his eyes tight and focused on things that had nothing to do with the desire he felt. He was good at that, quietly and efficiently calming himself down without touching. It was how he had dealt with it for most of his early teens. He hadn’t wanted to touch, hadn’t wanted to lose himself even for only a short moment. At the time he had been consumed by other, much stronger feelings, so the suppression of his desire had been easier than it was now, but he managed to calm himself down enough to fall asleep before Naruto returned.

On the eighth day, they finally reached the capital of Land of Seashells, aptly called The Conch. It strongly resembled a conch, with its iridescent houses shimmering in the sun. As they entered the village, they realized that the roofs of the houses seemed to be made out of actual conchs and seashells. The city was laid out in a spiral shape that circled inwards and upwards, towards the looming shape of a massive, gleaming tower.

Sasuke sought out an inn immediately, with Naruto reluctantly in tow. Naruto wanted to see and explore everything at once. He wanted to drink in every aspect of this new city that was so different from Konoha. But Sasuke was more practical about things. They needed to rent a room because once they did, they could leave their belongings there, and they had someplace where they could find back to each other easily if they lost sight of each other, something he knew would happen since Naruto was incapable of keeping his attention on more than one thing at the same time.

“Remember this place,” Sasuke said when they stood outside the inn a few minutes later.

Naruto huffed indignantly. “Of course I remember it.”

“What’s its name?”

Naruto glanced up at the sign and Sasuke sighed.

“The Bell Tower,” Naruto said, as though he thought Sasuke hadn’t noticed him looking at the sign.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s arm and wrote down the address to the inn with a pen.

Naruto yanked his arm back once Sasuke was done, complaining that he didn’t need to be so brutal.

“Don’t make me use my summons to find you again,” Sasuke said.

“That was once!”

Naruto had gone for a walk one night when they were staying in a relatively small town, and when Sasuke woke up the next day he still hadn’t returned. With the help of his hawk summon, Sasuke had finally found him asleep in a grove of trees.

“It’s not like I care anyway,” Sasuke said. “You can do whatever you like, just don’t fuck up my schedule again.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like ‘who cares about your fucking schedule’ before he set off down the street with a spring in his steps. He was gone in the throng of people before Sasuke could even attempt to keep up with him.

Sasuke wondered if he was being overly demanding. After all, they had never actually agreed to travel together. They could part ways anytime they wanted. But something in him dreaded letting go of Naruto. _He won’t manage even a day on his own_ , he thought. He had slept in the bushes, for fucks sake, because he couldn’t find his way back to their inn.

How was it possible that someone so inept was still alive?

Inordinate amounts of luck, probably.

Sasuke set off in the opposite direction of where Naruto had gone. He needed to focus on his own mission. He didn’t have much money left, so he had to see if he could find some small jobs he could take on.

He enjoyed the quiet, steady physical work, but it also allowed him to get closer to people, to see how they lived, how they went about their daily lives, how they thought about the world around them. He had learned so far that ordinary people thought little about the makings and doings of the world in general. They just focused on the task at hand: on keeping their farm or their business up and running, on earning enough money to get through each day, on caring for their family and giving their children a good future.

People were much the same in the Land of Seashells. But here, in the capital, a city that was much larger than Konoha, people were different. Here, stories of wars and the doings of shinobi and samurai were romanticized to fit the palate of a peace loving people. They loved retelling the stories of heroic deeds performed by the much-acclaimed samurai of their country. Usually there were certain historic figures that stood out for their particularly daring or unusual doings.

But they talked about it almost like it was something in such a distant past that they barely considered it real anymore. It surprised Sasuke to hear people talk about war in such a way. When he carefully asked about what the people knew about the lands in the west, they usually shrugged and called them barbaric.

Sasuke couldn’t exactly disagree.

The day passed quickly. He went from one task to the next with ease. It felt good to really use his body, to tire himself on something else than the steady, habitual act of walking.

When he finally returned to the inn, he was covered in mud. He really needed to get some new clothes.

“What the fuck have you been doing?” Naruto said when Sasuke entered the room. Sasuke relaxed. He had been worried that Naruto somehow had managed not to find the inn even with the address on his arm.

“You look like someone has dragged you through the mud,” Naruto added.

“I just took on some work,” Sasuke said. “I needed some money.”

“What, and you went without me?”

Sasuke hesitated at the bathroom door. “You wanted to come?”

“Yeah, I could need some money too. I mean, I’ve got some savings but I wanted to save it for something special.”

Sasuke nodded. “Come with me tomorrow. We’ll get twice as much done.”

He took a long, hot shower. Once he was finished, Naruto was already asleep. Sasuke slid under the sheets and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

“I wanted to buy some new clothes today,” Sasuke said once they stood outside the inn. “It won’t take long.”

Naruto sighed. “Thank god!”

Then he blushed and stared at Sasuke as though he wished he could take his words back.

“Do you hate my clothes that much?” Sasuke said, more amused than annoyed.

“N-no! I mean… I wanted to buy new clothes too!” Suddenly he was very excited. “I’ve been saving up for some quality clothes!”

“Let’s go together, then.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said after a strange pause, his voice suddenly a bit subdued, “Okay.”

Naruto had already explored the whole city while Sasuke worked yesterday, so he proudly guided Sasuke around, pointing out food stalls that had particularly good food, and interesting shops that sold things he wasn’t used to from Konoha, like jewelry and clocks made out of seashells, strange fish and shellfish, intricate contraptions that looked like compasses, and figurines of creatures that they’d never seen the likes of in Konoha.

The city was a lively one. Sasuke had gathered as much the other day, but he had kept to the less crowded streets. This seemed to be the main street and it was bursting with people milling to and fro, shouting at each other to be heard over the din.

Sasuke once again remembered how much he abhorred this kind of throng. He reached out to grab the back of Naruto’s jacket before he lost him out of sight. Naruto looked over his shoulder, surprised.

“Let’s get out of here,” Sasuke half-shouted over the clamor.

Naruto must have seen something in his face, because he hesitated for only a second before he nodded and steered them down a narrow side street. Sasuke finally felt like he could breathe again. They followed the winding side streets seemingly without any purpose. Sasuke just let Naruto lead the way while he tried to collect himself.

He had learned a while ago that huge crowds made him anxious. The psychologist he’d had to see while in prison had said that it was normal for shinobi. That the instinct to control their surroundings was so deeply ingrained in them that uncontrollable crowds could become overwhelming.

Naruto didn’t seem to have that problem, though. But then again, Naruto had never felt the need to plan anything. He jumped into battles fearless, always so overly confident that he’d find a solution somehow. Right now he walked these dark, shady alleys without a care in the world, confident that he’d find his way, while Sasuke searched for something that could give him a hint to where they were.

They passed by women standing in doorways, casually leaning against rugged brick walls, their eyes following the movements of the young men like hungry vultures. One stepped forward, pressing her chest against Naruto’s arm, propositioning him openly. Naruto faltered, stammered, tried to decline her politely, but it only made her sink her claws in deeper. Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s elbow and hurried him away from her. Some other women called after them, laughing.

“Hey, sweetheart, where are you going?”

“Come over here, darling.”

When they finally made it out onto a wider and less deserted street, Naruto’s entire face was bright red. Sasuke wondered why he was so flustered when he must have seen worse while he travelled with Jiriaya.

Sasuke realized he was still holding onto Naruto and let go of his arm.

Naruto was unusually quiet. Sasuke felt like he should say something, but he didn’t know what. Then Naruto pointed excitedly at a sign shaped like an octopus outside a shop selling seafood.

“I remember that sign! I’ve been here before!”

They walked a little further down the street. Suddenly it plunged down a steep hill, and the whole city was laid out beneath them. They had a clear view of the sea in the distance, with rows upon rows of boats lying docked at the huge port.

“Hey, look!” Naruto said. He was pointing at a shop right down the street. A tailor.

Sasuke had always used tailored clothes before, but that was because it was an Uchiha tradition. After the war he hadn’t cared about anything, and certainly not what he was wearing.

He wouldn’t get the Uchiha fan stitched into his clothes again for a while, not as long as he traveled. He’d like as few people as possible to be able to recognize him. But he did miss the luxury of tailored clothes.

Naruto looked completely mesmerized as they walked into the shop. As long as Sasuke could remember, Naruto had always worn different variations of the same orange tracksuit. He had never worn decent clothes even once in his life.

It was probably about time.

They left the shop half an hour later looking like different people. Naruto was grinning so brightly he nearly blinded the people passing by. Sasuke had to admit that he did look good. Underneath those baggy clothes, he hid a very fit, muscular body. Sasuke knew that all too well. He’d gotten closely acquainted with those muscles during their last fight. He frowned. Why had he suddenly thought about that?

He had to stop acting so weird.

He threw a sideways look at Naruto, who was looking around like he waited expectantly for the next challenge. He was wearing a brown and orange fitted jacket that, when open, flowed lightly behind him in the breeze like a cloak. Underneath he was wearing a white t-shirt with a narutomaki swirl on the chest, and orange pants. The poor woman at the shop had tried to suggest basically any other color, but Naruto had already made up his mind. At least these pants fit him better than the old ones. A little too well, perhaps…

Sasuke averted his gaze, hoping he hadn’t been staring.

“Let’s go find some work!” Naruto said excitedly. 


	3. Saving Kittens

Naruto had for some reason thought that getting Sasuke out of that ratty old sweater would make him less attractive. In hindsight that was extremely foolish optimism. Of course Sasuke looked ten times better in neatly tailored, perfectly fitted clothes. If he hadn’t been turning heads before, he definitely was now, and annoyingly he seemed completely oblivious to it. Naruto glared at anyone who dared to stare too long.

They asked around for work at local meeting spots like bars and markets. It was easy to find people who needed a job done. For the most it was errands or jobs that required some heavy lifting. Mending some leaking roofs, moving some furniture, doing some shopping for elderly people, or in one case, helping a cat down from a tree.

In the last case, they hadn’t so much taken on the job as they had been wheedled into it. The middle-aged woman who owned the cat had heard them ask around for jobs and had offered a ridiculously large sum for their help. Naruto noted that she looked like a wealthy woman. She lived in a large house surrounded by a tall stone fence. Even in the middle of the city, it was quiet inside the spacious and well-kept garden.

For some reason, Sasuke tagged along even though it was a one-man job. Normally they would split up to do the easier jobs, but Sasuke, who had been a little cold towards the woman, wouldn’t let Naruto out of his sight.

He grabbed Naruto’s arm when he set off towards the tree where the unhappy cat was sitting. “Don’t make it look too easy,” he said quietly.

Naruto shook off Sasuke’s hand with a dismissive movement. “I know,” he muttered.

He wasn’t sure why Sasuke felt the need to remind him. They had both been careful not to do anything that would reveal that they were shinobi since neither of them wanted the unnecessary attention.

Naruto climbed the tree easily, much to the delight of the woman and her friends, who apparently had been enjoying this warm day with a lot of wine.

Naruto saw one of the women approach Sasuke, and rolled his eyes at the standoffish way in which Sasuke treated her. She gave up on talking to him after only a few moments.

Naruto focused on the cat. It seemed very unhappy where it sat curled up close to the trunk of the tree, its whole body three sizes larger thanks to the way its fur stood up. It was already a large, well-fed cat. Naruto really wished he were more of a cat person, because he had no idea how to approach the scared animal.

“Hey, kitty,” he said softly, “It’s okay, I’m here to help you…”

He reached out slowly as to not startle the cat, and managed to grab it. But when he lifted it, the cat protested and tried to cling onto the branch.

“C’mon, kitty,” Naruto ground out. “Don’t be difficult, I’m trying to he-e-elp-!“

The cat spun out of his hands, right over his head and launched itself into the air. They were at least ten feet above the ground. Naruto lost his balance and then he was falling backwards. He flailed, he heard the women scream, and then he was plunging towards the ground.

He hit the ground hard, all the air in his lungs leaving him painfully. Then he rolled over, swearing with what little breath he had left. The women flocked around him, asking if he was all right, saying that he needed to go to the hospital, asking if he had broken anything.

“I’m fine,” Naruto said with a grin. “I’ve been through worse.”

Sasuke shoved away the women to get to Naruto. He had the cat in his arm.

Naruto pouted. “You caught the cat instead of me?”

“If I had tried to catch you, we’d both be injured,” Sasuke said.

“Oh, Floof!” The woman who had hired them said and reached out to take the cat from Sasuke’s arm. It jumped down and ran away, its mistress at its heels.

“I’m getting déjà vu,” Naruto said when Sasuke grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

“Are you really okay?” one of the women said.

“You should come inside, I’ll take a look at that cut on your face,” another said.

Naruto touched his cheek. It came away bloody. The cat must have scratched him in its mad dash for freedom. He accepted the invitation despite Sasuke’s disapproving gaze. He wondered what got Sasuke so wound up. These ladies were really nice. They even offered him cookies and something to drink.

Sasuke followed him like a shadow, completely ignored by the women and seemingly liking it that way.

The women tried to make them stay longer, even offered them some wine. When Naruto said he wasn’t of legal drinking age yet, they just giggled.

“How old are you?” one of the women asked.

“Twenty,” Naruto said.

More giggles. Another woman patted his cheek. “You’re so handsome, darling. Do you have a lucky girl waiting for you somewhere?”

Naruto blushed. “Um, no… I… Not really, no.”

The women found that extremely amusing.

Finally, Sasuke had had enough. He grabbed Naruto’s arm and whispered. “We don’t have time for this. Ask for the payment so we can go.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. He had hoped the woman would offer to pay on her own accord. He hated to remind her after she had been so nice.

“We really need to go,” he said, smiling apologetically.

The woman sighed but she found her purse and counted up the money. “You know,” she said, “I could have paid you much more if you’re willing to do me another favor.”

“That’s enough,” Sasuke said sharply. “We agreed to only the one job.”

The woman frowned. “You are really pretty, sweetheart,” she said. “It’s a shame you’re so cynical.”

She slammed the money into Sasuke’s upturned palm. Sasuke didn’t even glance at the money before he turned around and dragged Naruto out of there.

Naruto was too shocked to protest at first, but once they were out on the streets again, he stopped and pulled his arm out of Sasuke’s grip.

“What’s up with you?” he said. “You didn’t have to be so rude!”

Sasuke looked at the money in his hand, then he gave it to Naruto. “At least she kept her promise,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t she?” Naruto said. “She seemed like a respectable woman.”

Sasuke snorted. “What gave you that impression? The nice clothes? The big house?”

“Why are you being like this?”

Sasuke seemed to have no answer, but a moment later he said, oddly serious, “How far would you have let them go if I hadn’t been there?”

“What are you talking about?”

Sasuke shook his head. He muttered something that sounded like, ‘this is why I can’t let you go off on your own.’

Before Naruto could come with a retort, Sasuke sped up so that Naruto had enough just keeping up with him.

At the end of the day, they were tired but much richer. They had more money than Naruto had thought they’d earn on such menial tasks. The Conch people really were a generous kind.

Their days started to settle into a routine. They worked all day and in the evening they would treat themselves to a good dinner. It was really nice. They weren’t sure how long they were going to stay in the city, but it was a good place to earn up a lot of money before they continued their travels. Naruto liked the slow, easy way of their life. Hard work got his mind off other things and soon he found that he rarely thought about Konoha and the hokage position and the war. He’d catch himself just staring at the sunset without a single thought in his head, and it was nice. It had been a long time since his brain got a reprieve from memories of the shitstorm that his life had been.

It wasn’t all bad, of course, but the bad things tended to stick. Sometimes… pretty often, actually, he watched Sasuke in an unguarded moment and wondered what kind of dark things he carried around inside of him. Did he think about it a lot, or had he made peace with his past? He did seem more at ease out here, far away from Konoha, far away from all the memories, just living from day to day without thinking about tomorrow.

“Here.”

Naruto stared down at the thing –  _ the thing _ – that Sasuke had just handed him.

A book. A fricking book.

“I don’t like reading,” Naruto said.

“I know,” Sasuke said. “That’s why you’re so bad at it.”

He pressed the book into Naruto’s hand. “Since you’re becoming Hokage, you need to be able to read and write properly.”

Naruto noted that he said ‘since’ and not ‘if’. He pouted. “But I’ll just make Shikamaru read anything important.”

Sasuke sighed. “Just read the damn thing.”

Naruto looked at the book. It was a pocket book, second hand, it’s pages worn and yellowed. The title was The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.

“I saw it and thought of you,” Sasuke admitted.

Naruto went wide-eyed. Then he grinned. Sasuke had thought about him?

The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja was the only book he’d ever finished, and enjoyed, but it had taken him an excessive amount of time despite not being a long book. He found he didn’t mind the thought of trying to read it again.

It took him a little over a week, with Sasuke’s help, to finish the book, a feat he was immensely proud of. Naruto read when Sasuke read, just before they went to bed. It was kinda nice. It reminded him of when he travelled with Jiriaya and tried to read his manuscripts. He had usually jumped to somewhere in the middle, where the juicy parts were. Still, he hadn’t had enough patience to read much even in those books. He preferred the more visual renditions of… those kinds of things. Jiriaya had those too, though he’d gotten angry when he found Naruto snooping through his magazines. But a while later he had given Naruto a certain book. It had hand drawn pictures instead of photographs and was more artistic than pornographic. Jiriaya had just left it for Naruto to find, never speaking a word about it. That was the closest Naruto had ever gotten to the birds and the bees talk.

He glanced over at Sasuke, who was lying on his side, his back to Naruto. They were in their room at the inn and it was getting late. Sasuke would probably put down his book soon and go to sleep.

Naruto watched the elegant shape of his body, the gentle slope from his shoulders to his waist, the sharp angle of his hip.

He wondered how Sasuke had learned about sex… How much did he know? Did he have personal experience? Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose. Those were useless questions. He would never know, could never ask, and Sasuke would probably never tell him, not even if he got raving drunk, not even if his life depended on it. It was too personal and they were not the kind of people who got personal… Not in the intimate, emotional way. Just in the physical, angry, desperate way.

Naruto couldn’t help it. He glanced over at Sasuke again, watched him for a long moment, drank in every aspect of him. He could never get tired of watching Sasuke. Sometimes, it felt unreal to have him so close, to be able to casually watch him without feeling all sorts of violent emotions. All he felt now was a slow, painful pull. It was a bittersweet feeling that was buried so deep inside him that it felt like a part of everything he was. A longing so old that it no longer had the edge of pain. It was just a constant presence.

Sasuke shifted and Naruto hurriedly returned his attention to his book. He heard Sasuke put the book away, and a few minutes later he heard him fall into the shallow, practiced sleep of a shinobi, still with his senses on alert, but with his breathing slowed.

Naruto put away his book too. He didn’t turn off the light, though. He watched Sasuke until he fell asleep.

Every once in a while, Sasuke insisted that they drop by a bookstore, usually a thrift store. He rarely bought anything for himself so Naruto got the feeling he was hoping Naruto could be tempted to buy anything. He wasn’t.

Not until one day when a certain book caught his eyes. On the cover it had a picture of two muscled men, for some reason with torn shirts, who clutched each other in a dramatic embrace. Naruto didn’t think twice about it before he grabbed it and paid for it, all the while keeping an eye on Sasuke to make sure he hadn’t noticed. Only when he had tucked the book into his pocket did he realize that he couldn’t risk letting Sasuke see him read it. He might actually have to burn the book after he’d read it, because he couldn’t let anyone ever know it had been in his possession.

They went on with their day in the usual way, this time at a construction site at the outskirts of town. Naruto was always tempted to use his chakra to make the job easier, but he only did it if he knew no one was watching. He could never hide it from Sasuke, though, who always gave him a disapproving look for taking risks.

It wasn’t until the evening when they were tired and headed for some place to eat, that Naruto by chance noticed the date. The 23 of July… Why did that date sound so familiar?

“Wait!” Naruto blurted out and stopped in the middle of the street. “Today is your birthday! When were you planning to remind me?”

“Never,” Sasuke said and kept walking.

Naruto jogged up to him. “Why not?!”

Sasuke sighed. “Because I don’t like to be reminded of it.”

“How can you not want that? It’s the only time of the year when you’re allowed to have everything revolving around yourself! Who doesn’t love that?”

“I don’t,” Sasuke bit out. “So stop making a big deal out of it. This is why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d act this way.”

Naruto pouted. He was quiet for a moment, but then he got an idea. “But you’re of legal drinking age! At least we can celebrate that!”

Sasuke looked skeptical. “I’ve already tried drinking.”

Naruto gaped. “Wha-? You have?! Since when?!”

“Can you stop shouting?” Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment like he was gathering strength. “Fine, let’s go out drinking. I need a reprieve from the headache you’re giving me.“

“But wait… I can’t…” Naruto started saying, but Sasuke grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

“No one cares if you’re three months too young, they just want to sell their booze.”

“But…!”

_ I’ve been so good up until now _ , he thought.  _ Mother, father, you’ll forgive me this once _ . Besides, he really wanted to try alcohol.

“Yuck!” Naruto spat out the foul liquid. Sake burned his tongue and his throat and it tasted like… petrol, probably. Or bleach.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Naruto said between coughs. “This tastes like crap. Why does anyone want to drink it?”

Without hesitating or fumbling, Sasuke ordered a glass of beer.

Naruto watched Sasuke with narrowed eyes. “You seem really familiar with this.”

Sasuke shrugged.

Naruto rested his chin on his hand. “When did you start drinking?”

“Stop talking, Naruto,” Sasuke said. “Eat your food.”

Naruto stuffed a piece of sushi into his mouth, not taking his eyes off Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed. “I don’t remember the first time. It’s a while ago.”

“I’m thinking I should have guessed you’d already tried alcohol,” Naruto said. Then he thanked the waiter who placed a cold glass of beer in front of him. “I mean, you’re definitely the rebellious type.”

He took a sip of the beer.

“I was,” Sasuke said.

Naruto spat out the mouthful of beer. “It’s awful.” He felt like wiping his tongue.

Sasuke chuckled. “That’s what I found out too.”

Naruto pouted. “Jerk.”

“You drink for the buzz, not for the taste.” Sasuke gulped down the rest of his sake. “Though the taste grows on you after a while.”

Naruto sighed. He took another sip of beer and kept it down this time. Then he gobbled down a piece of sushi to dull the taste.

“What other kind of rebellious things have you done?” Naruto asked without thinking. When he met Sasuke’s eyes, they were narrowed.

“Except of the things I already know,” Naruto added. “Obviously.”

He nervously scarfed down more food. He felt bold for asking that question, not because of what Sasuke might answer but because the reason he’d asked was very specific. He wanted to know about the more intimate sides of Sasuke’s life. He wanted to know everything about him, especially the things that they might have talked about or at least alluded to if things had been different and they had spent their teens together. But as things stood now, he knew nothing about what Sasuke had done the times he was away from Konoha, what he had experienced, who he had met…

Naruto gulped down more beer.

“I’m not really that rebellious,” Sasuke said, his voice toned down. “I just like to go my own way.”

“Isn’t that basically the same thing?” Naruto hiccupped. He lifted his hand and the waiter came over. “One more of these!” He said, lifting the empty beer glass.

“I guess so,” Sasuke said after a long moment. Then he hesitated for a second before saying, “What are you actually asking?”

Naruto felt his face heat up and hurriedly gulped down the cold beer that just had been placed down in front of him. “N-nothing!” he said. “I’m just curious, you know. About the parts of your life that I don’t know so much about.”

“The things you don’t know about me,” Sasuke said quietly, “are things you should be glad you don’t know.”

_ Well _ , Naruto thought,  _ that wasn’t reassuring at all _ .

\-----

Sasuke had lost count of how many glasses of beer Naruto had been drinking after the tenth one. Unsurprisingly, his alcohol tolerance was insanely high, but unfortunately people around them were starting to take notice. Naruto was thriving on the attention and soon he had engaged nearly the entire establishment in lively conversation. For the past half an hour, Sasuke had been pondering whether he should go back to the inn alone, or if he should stay to make sure Naruto didn’t eventually either get exploited by someone or pass out drunk somewhere and potentially get mugged. The choice was an easy one, really, but every five minutes Sasuke felt an overwhelming need to escape the clammy din of the small establishment.

He went outside to get a breath of fresh air and leant against the cool brick wall in the narrow back alley. He saw something darting around in the shadows. It could be stray dogs or rats, but either way they kept their distance.

Sasuke checked the clock hanging in the hallway on his way back inside. It was getting late and they needed to get up early tomorrow to earn back all the money Naruto had used on alcohol tonight.

When he returned to the locale, it was a lot quieter than it had been when he left barely ten minutes earlier. People had started heading home. He didn’t find Naruto at first and his heart immediately jumped into his throat. He shouldn’t have left him alone like that, he thought. The idiot couldn’t stay unattended for even a minute before he did something stupid.

Then he saw him sitting by the bar and his heart settled again. But Naruto wasn’t alone. Next to him, sitting really close, was a man Sasuke hadn’t noticed before. He was a tall and lanky guy, broad-shouldered, with a shock of brown hair that fell into his eyes. As Sasuke watched, the guy placed a hand on Naruto’s arm and leaned in even closer. Naruto turned to him, smiling.

Sasuke felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The man reminded him of someone… That easy, charming smile, those cold, hard eyes…

He shook himself from his momentary reverie, strode over to the two men and put a hand on Naruto’s shoulder.

“We need to go,” he said brusquely, watching the stranger, not Naruto.

The stranger grinned and moved away from Naruto. “You didn’t tell me you had company,” he said.

Naruto directed his grin towards Sasuke. “Sas’ke! Where were you?”

Sasuke pulled Naruto to his feet. “You’ve had enough, we’re going back to the inn.”

Naruto tried protesting. “But I’m-”

Sasuke didn’t let him finish. He left some money on the bar and shoved Naruto towards the door, still staring down the stranger. “Keep your hands off him,” he said coldly, “or you’ll regret it.”

The man lifted his hands in a placating motion, leering at Sasuke like he thought he knew things. He knew nothing. Sasuke wanted to punch him for even daring to touch Naruto, but a fight would draw unnecessary attention. So he turned away with all the restraint he could muster.

“Let go of me, bastard,” Naruto grumbled as they stumbled out into the cool evening air. “I was having a very,” he hiccupped, “very educt…aca…cative… converstation.”

“Are you sure you’re gonna remember any of it tomorrow?” Sasuke said flatly.

Naruto leaned heavily on Sasuke, putting one hand around his waist and holding him tightly.

“Yes,” he ensured Sasuke, “I’ll remember every word. Every word!” He hiccupped again. “Each and every one.”

Sasuke tried to steer them in a somewhat straight line, but it was difficult with Naruto hanging onto him so heavily, constantly pushing him off course.

“I told him that I had someone I liked,” he blabbered. Sasuke felt an uncomfortable jolt go through him. Naruto blithely carried on. “But that I’ll never be able to have ‘em. That man, he gave me a lot of advice. But I’ve never seduced anyone before.”

Sasuke prayed for this to end very soon. He could see the inn just up the street now and tried to hurry Naruto along. But Naruto kept walking like they had all night.

“You’re good at seducing people,” Naruto suddenly said. He leant back to look at Sasuke and nearly fell backwards. Sasuke grabbed him and straightened him up.

“I’m not,” Sasuke said and pulled Naruto along.

Naruto laughed. “Yes, you are. You just don’t know it. You don’t even try. People just… Just… They just fall for you. Everyone falls for you.”

“Listen,” Sasuke said as they stopped in front of the doors to the inn. “The more I push people away, the more they seem to want me. There’s nothing more to it.”

Naruto grimaced. “I’m never gonna get anyone, then.” He slumped against Sasuke. “I’m too desperate.”

Sasuke sighed and hauled Naruto up the stairs and through the reception. The receptionist gave them a displeased look that Sasuke ignored. Now he regretted getting a room on the second floor. Naruto was muttering drunkenly the whole way up the stairs, clinging to Sasuke like a baby koala.

“Can you at least try to be a little cooperative?” Sasuke grumbled as he shoved Naruto into their room. He steered Naruto towards his futon, and thankfully Naruto immediately collapsed onto it.

“You’re never drinking again,” Sasuke said vehemently. “If you do, you’re on your own. I’m not helping you again.”

Naruto curled up on the futon, not bothering to take off his shoes.

“Am I hideous?” he said a few moments later.

“No,” Sasuke said immediately. “Did anyone say that to you?”

“No… I just thought that… Since no one wants me…” he sniffled. “That there must be something wrong with me.”

“The only thing that’s wrong with you,” Sasuke said as he started pulling off Naruto’s shoes, “Is you getting completely wasted,” he pulled off Naruto’s other shoe and threw it towards the door, “and giving me a shit ton of unnecessary trouble.”

Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s wrist. “You like me? Right?”

Sasuke was so perplexed he didn’t know what to say. “Of course,” he said at last. He pulled his wrist out of Naruto’s grip and moved over to his own futon, away from Naruto’s searching look. “You’re a pain in the ass but…” Sasuke hesitated. Naruto was still watching him with a shockingly somber look. “But you’re my friend,” he said.

Naruto got a strange look on his face. He flopped down on the bed, eyes closed. “I’m dizzy,” he complained. Then he groaned. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

Sasuke swore.

He managed to get Naruto up and into the bathroom before he vomited.

“I’m never drinking again,” Naruto croaked. “Why didn’t anyone tell me how awful it feels?”

Sasuke pushed a few sweaty locks of hair away from Naruto’s cheek.

Naruto wiped a hand over his flushed face, ruffling up his hair again.

“I’m useless,” he muttered, his bottom lip wobbling.

_ Oh no _ , Sasuke thought.  _ Don’t start crying. Please don’t… _

Naruto sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “A-and I’m…” He choked on his words. Then he latched onto Sasuke’s waist and started sobbing. Sasuke stared up at the roof, praying that this would end soon.

“I knew bringing you was a bad idea,” he muttered.

He didn’t like dealing with emotions, and Naruto was basically just a tightly wound ball of emotions.

He had to find some way to calm him down. He tentatively placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder and patted it awkwardly.

“It’s okay,” he said, desperately searching for words that could soothe. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” 

To his surprise, the words came more easily than he had expected. “People like you a lot. They like the bright energy you bring with you, the way you pay attention to people.” 

He found that caressing Naruto almost felt natural. He ran his fingers through bright, unruly hair and was surprised by how soft it was. It felt like touching sunlight. “But that’s not what I like about you,” he continued. Naruto’s sobs had abated. Now he was just sniffling.

When Sasuke became silent because he struggled to find words, Naruto sat up. His nose was running and he wiped it with the back of his hand. Sasuke grimaced. He tore off some toilet paper and pushed it in Naruto’s hand.

“Why are you so gross?”

Naruto blew his nose. “What do you like about me?” he asked nasally.

“I honestly have no idea,” Sasuke said.

He stood and went back to the bedroom. Naruto followed him doggedly.

“No, you have to tell me! I won’t be happy again until you tell me.”

Sasuke started taking off his shoes, ignoring Naruto, but Naruto wouldn’t give up.

“C’mon, tell me. Please? Pretty please? C’mon, Sasuke. Don’t be like that. You can’t just leave me hanging!”

He flopped down onto Sasuke’s futon just as Sasuke took off his dark blue jacket. Underneath he was wearing a white V-neck shirt. He sighed as he knelt down and rummaged through his bag for the book he always read to calm down before bedtime.

“I’m not sure why I like you.” He found the book. “I just do. You’re… honest. I like that. And you always push me to do better. You’re strong, fierce…”

He looked up only to find that Naruto’s eyes were firmly fixed on his chest, which was visible when he bent over.

“You have a really hairless chest,” Naruto blurted out.

Sasuke straightened up so that Naruto couldn’t look down his shirt. Then he threw the book at his head.

“What’s the point of making me tell you those things when you’re not even listening?” Sasuke snarled.

He pulled the sheet out under Naruto so that he toppled backwards onto the floor.

“Go to bed,” he grumbled. “I’m done babysitting you.”

Naruto sulkily went over to his futon where he proceeded to fall asleep immediately, snoring loudly.

Sasuke put the pillow over his head.

Fucking unbelievable.


	4. Wheat Fields

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a dash of angst...

For the next few days, Sasuke noticed someone stalking them. At first he wondered if it was someone sent to keep an eye on them. A samurai, perhaps.

But he soon discovered that it was just the creepy guy who had taken such an interest in Naruto the night he got so drunk. Sasuke didn’t like the face of that man. He was watching Naruto intently, his eyes sliding across his body like a caress.

Sasuke didn’t let the man realize that he’d been noticed. Instead he made sure to always get in the way of his appreciative look.

He wondered if he should tell Naruto about the man, but since Naruto had seemingly forgotten all about his drunken escapades, he eventually decided not to. 

Naruto could be really naïve in regard to other people. He always took people at face value, believing in the good in everyone even after all the questionable people he’d encountered. People who noticed this could easily exploit him, but that was a concept Sasuke weren’t sure if Naruto understood. He thought he could fight or talk his way out of everything.

“What are you staring so hard at?” Naruto said, bringing Sasuke out of his reverie.

Sasuke turned away from where the stalker had just slipped into the shadows of an alleyway, and shook his head.

“I was wondering if it’s about time to leave this place.”

\-----

They left The Conch the following morning. They had managed to save up a decent amount of money in their month-long stay there, which would come in handy as they explored the lesser-known countries farther east. As a child, Sasuke had heard stories of these mythical countries, about wars waged in a faraway place where kings ruled instead of daimyo. He’d thought they were just fairytales for many years, until he started traveling further away and heard stories about some countries in the east that coincided with the myths.

Since then, he’d wanted to go there. If only to see how far he could get.

Most maps he’d managed to acquire stopped somewhere at the far border of the Land of Silence, which would be their next destination, and there were no maps detailing anything north of the Land of Silence.

He had hoped that he’d manage to find some more detailed maps on his way east, but so far he hadn’t had much luck. Apparently, there was something called the Eternal Forest lying as a thick wall between west and east, but he’d found one map that showed a potential passage across the Silent Sea.

“… Is it really a good idea to go there?” Naruto said when he looked at the map. “It sounds like somewhere you’d go if you don’t want to come back.”

“You don’t have to come with me,” Sasuke said and pocketed the map. “But I’ll be going either way.”

Naruto stared at him. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head. “I’m coming with you,” he said.

And that was the end of that discussion.

\-----

They were camping somewhere out in the wilderness and Naruto found himself wishing for something he’d never thought he’d ever wish for; a dictionary. It was difficult to understand what was going on between the two main characters in the book he was reading when the language was so convoluted. Throbbing rod was pretty much self-explanatory, but _turgid member_? He understood the meaning of that pretty quickly, but there were a bunch of other words too that he had trouble understanding, and he couldn’t easily ask Sasuke. He was still trying to hide the fact of what he was reading in case Sasuke would be curious about what book had caught his interest, which was why he read during his nightly watch.

He was in the middle of the most heated scene so far, when he came to a screeching halt. He had to reread the sentence.

_He put it where?!_

He blinked in confusion at the pages. That would explain a lot, actually. He’d barely gotten straight sex explained, but no one had even mentioned gay sex. He’d just thought that the whole penetration part was out of the picture.

He suddenly felt very hot and very aware of Sasuke who was lying just a few feet away from him, sleeping. He wondered if Sasuke knew this, then he mentally slapped himself. _Stop thinking about Sasuke whenever… ugh…_

Why was he doing this to himself?

 _We’re just friends_ , he told himself like a mantra. _We’re friends, he’s my friend, and you don’t think that way about your friend._

But wondering about Sasuke’s knowledge about certain areas wasn’t exactly out of line, to be honest. It was more of a… healthy interest in other people’s knowledge.

Yup.

He should just continue reading.

But now he couldn’t keep reading without being extremely aware of Sasuke being right there and that what was happening in the book was getting really steamy, and honestly, he’d rarely experienced sexual frustration on this level. Was it really possible to die from blue balls? Because it felt like a very real threat right now. He set down the book and tried to take his mind off it for a while. He listened to the forest, to the sounds from the nighttime animals, the subdued scratching and shuffling. He listened to the soft breeze rustling through the foliage above them, and the cheerful tinkling from the nearby creek.

He was still harder than ever. 

He put his head in his hands and groaned.

There was a reason why this place was called the Land of Silence. Everything was quiet. They didn’t see a single living creature for the first few days, and then when they finally found signs of people, it was just in the form of giant farms that were laid out miles apart from each other in the open landscape, as though the people living there cherished their solitude to such a degree that even having neighbors was too much for them.

They wandered for days without seeing a single town. They slept outside every single night, and as it started raining for days on end, Naruto was soon getting tired and annoyed. Sasuke was quiet as always, but even more so now. Naruto was pretty sure they didn’t speak for a whole day at one point, Naruto being in a bad mood and Sasuke being… Sasuke.

“This country sucks,” Naruto grumbled one evening, probably for the hundredth time.

They’d been walking in the rain since they got up at the asscrack of dawn that morning. Their food supplies were dwindling and the animals, if there were any, were hiding so well that they hadn’t been able to catch any. The only positive thing about their situation was that they at least wouldn’t die from dehydration.

The sun had set and it was getting darker. They needed to find a place to camp but Naruto wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in a damp sleeping bag again, inside a cold, clammy tent.

Then something caught his eye: a small dot of light in the grey shadows of dusk.

“Look!” he said excitedly. “Maybe it’s a house!”

He sped up and soon they were standing outside the gates of a huge farm that lay stately in between sprawling fields.

“We should ask if we can stay for the night,” Naruto said.

“Wait…” Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s arm to stop him from walking through the gate. “It’s very late…”

“I’m sure they’ll understand. We’re exhausted and drenched through and we’ve been sleeping outside for _weeks_.”

“Barely one week, actually.”

“AND they’d probably love some visitors out here in no-mans-land.”

Sasuke sighed but let go of him.

Naruto went right up to the front door and knocked loudly. When no one answered, he knocked again. Finally a light turned on inside. The door opened a smidgen and one narrowed eye peered out at him.

Naruto waved. “Hi! We were just passing by, but we haven’t seen a town for weeks and it’s pouring down so I wondered if you’d let us stay for the night?”

The narrowed eye narrowed further.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “I mean, we’d pay for it, obviously.”

The door slammed in his face.

“Rude,” Naruto muttered. He was about to turn away when the door opened wider.

A woman around Naruto’s age stood in the doorway, looking wary but determined.

“You’d pay, you say?”

Naruto grinned. “Yeah, of course!”

She narrowed her eyes again. “You talked as though you weren’t alone, but I don’t see anyone else…”

Naruto looked behind him and realized that Sasuke had kept to the shadows.

“Sasuke, c’mon!”

Sasuke hesitated before stepping forward. The woman measured him with a scrutinizing look.

“I hope you two aren’t up to no good, walking about in the middle of the night.”

“We’re just travelers,” Naruto said. “We’re headed east towards the nearest town.”

The woman snorted. “You’re not from around, are you?”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “How did you guess?”

“You have a long way to go to the nearest town if you’re continuing eastwards.”

Then she stepped aside to let them in, but she didn’t stop measuring them critically with her eyes. “The kitchen’s right down the hall,” she said.

They followed the corridor into a warmly lit kitchen that smelled of pastries and herbs.

“My mother loves to bake,” the woman said and offered them two fluffy-looking pieces of pastry. “My name is Mae. I’m in charge of this farm at the moment. I don’t have much need for money, but we’re understaffed at the moment so if you want to pay for the stay, you can help us with the harvest.”

“Sounds great!”

Naruto took a bite of the pastry. It tasted like cinnamon and sugar and perfection. He shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

“’dis is weally good! Fhanks!”

Mae looked like she was about to smile. Then she looked at Sasuke who was still eating the pastry in small bites and walking about the room, taking stock of all exits.

She shook her head.

“How did you two come to travel together? You couldn’t have been more different from each other.”

Naruto smiled and shrugged. “We go way back.”

Mae showed them their room. She suddenly became very talkative, talking about life on the farm and about how her mother’s health had deteriorated lately. Naruto listened politely until she said goodnight and left them.

“I don’t understand how you can listen to people prattle on so calmly,” Sasuke said.

“It’s called being nice,” Naruto said. “You should try it sometime.”

“There’s a fine line between being nice and being taken advantage of.”

“I thought it was interesting to listen to her!”

Sasuke shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Naruto huffed. He was trying to think of a good comeback but Sasuke was distracting. He was taking off his cloak and unbuckling the sword that he always kept hidden under his cloak so that people wouldn’t notice it. But he didn’t stop there. He took off his jacket and underneath it his shirt was sticking tightly to his skin. He was as drenched through as Naruto. Then he started unbuttoning his pants, and at that point Naruto abruptly turned away.

Fuck. They were both going to have to take off all their clothes. They were going to have to sleep naked. In the same room, only a few steps away from each other.

With the way his body heated up like he was on fire, Naruto was surprised his clothes didn’t dry instantly. He choked out some excuse about going to the bathroom and hurried out of the room.

Naruto returned to their room and got into bed only when he was a hundred percent certain that Sasuke had gone to sleep. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep quickly and slept soundly until they were woken up at sunrise the next morning. Naruto’s clothes weren’t entirely dry yet so he took out his spare clothes. He got dressed in a hurry, pointedly avoiding looking at Sasuke.

The day passed quickly. They were kept working from morning till evening, but the hard work was interspersed with plenty of amazing meals so Naruto wasn’t about to complain. Mae’s mother was very happy to have them there.

“We didn’t know how to get the harvest done after my husband died unexpectedly this winter…” She sighed and Mae squeezed her arm. “I don’t have any other kids but Mae, and we can’t afford to keep too many workers on.”

“We’ll stay as long as you need us to,” Naruto said before he had time to think it through.

Sasuke was sitting too far away from him to kick him under the table, thankfully, because Naruto could see that he wanted to.

He shrugged apologetically.

“They need us,” he insisted a little later, when Sasuke pulled him aside to give him a piece of his mind.

“Do you even know how long the harvest lasts? You’ve got only a year’s worth of traveling before you have to go back to Konoha. Is this really how you want to spend it?”

“But you’re the one who always insisted we stopped to help people. You said it was a good way of getting to know and understand people!”

“Yes, for a couple of days, maybe a week at most. I’m not looking to get new friends.”

“Well… You don’t have to stay. It was my decision. You can just continue on your journey without me.”

It pained Naruto to say it. He didn’t want to separate from Sasuke, and if Sasuke agreed and said he’d leave, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t give in and go with him.

Sasuke hesitated for a long moment before he finally sighed and shook his head.

“I’ll stay, but only for a month.”

Naruto was barely able to contain the flutters that erupted in his chest. Sasuke had given in. For him!

He grinned broadly and before he managed to stop himself, he had hugged Sasuke tightly. It took about two seconds before he realized that he had just squeezed Uchiha-I-hate-physical-contact-and-smells-like-a-divine-being-Sasuke so close to his chest that nearly every part of their bodies touched.

He practically shoved Sasuke away in his hurry to correct his mistake. He didn’t dare meet his eyes so he put on a fake smile and said something along the lines of ‘okay then, gotta go,’ before practically running away.

Once he rounded the corner of the house, out of Sasuke’s view, he screamed silently into his hands.

_I’m such an idiot, such an idiot, fuck, fuck, fuck._

If he’d just acted natural about the hug Sasuke might not have cared too much, but after that weird exchange he must think Naruto had lost it.

Naruto slumped against the wall. Well, there was no way of fixing it now. What was done was done. He took off towards the fields at full speed, not caring if people noticed and wondered how he could run so fast. He just needed to get away. Away from Sasuke and away from his own thoughts and feelings.

After a while, Naruto came to love the little family at the farm. Mae had such a beautiful, broad smile, her sun-kissed skin full of freckles and her body strong and sturdy. She worked together with the men on the fields all day, and still had energy left at night to help her mother cook. Naruto offered his help too, usually by doing the dishes. No one dared let him come near the stove after he left a pot of porridge unattended and nearly set the house on fire.

But while Naruto spent a lot of time with the people on the farm, Sasuke usually kept to himself and barely talked to anyone. During dinner he didn’t say a word, and afterwards he disappeared to who knew where. He usually came to bed when Naruto was nearly asleep.

They had been so close for over a month and now the loss of contact with Sasuke left an empty feeling in Naruto. He tried to compensate for the space Sasuke left by reaching out to others. He especially got along well with Mae.

He spent a lot of time with her. Talking to her was easy, and he got the feeling she was flirting with him. He liked the attention; it was something he needed sorely. When he was a kid he had thought that he needed to work hard to be loved and that he had to chase the girls in order to make them see him. But after he became the village hero, that had changed completely. Suddenly women were basically throwing themselves at him. He had finally achieved what he’d been working so hard for, but for some reason it didn’t make him feel any better.

He had kissed a few girls because some of them could be extremely insistent, but mostly he tried to avoid their overly enthusiastic attention. (If that was what he was like as a kid, he felt very sorry for Sakura).

Mae was a very nice change from all of his strange and confusing meetings with girls in Konoha. She didn’t know who he was, but she seemed to like him either way. She was soft and fun and subtly flirty, briefly brushing his hands and giving him lingering smiles, and Naruto was starting to feel a little attracted towards her.

But as Naruto slowly but surely started enjoying life on the farm, looking forward to seeing Mae each day, Sasuke’s bad mood seemed to only increase. He avoided Naruto for the most part, and if Naruto managed to find a moment to talk to him, he cut him off. Naruto didn’t understand what had gotten into him. Maybe he had changed his mind about staying? But in that case he could just leave. He didn’t have to act like such an ass.

It went so far that eventually they weren’t talking at all. They ignored each other when they bumped into each other, they went to bed without exchanging a single word, and they sat on opposite sides of the table during meals.

Mae noticed that something was off too.

“Are you two fighting?” she asked Naruto one day when they were taking a break from work and were sitting in the shade of a tree. The sun had been beating down on them for the past weeks. In the beginning it had been a welcome change from the pouring rain, but now it was starting to become a bit too much.

“No,” Naruto said. “At least, I don’t think so. He’s just shutting me out.”

“You can’t think of any reason why he’d do that?”

Naruto shrugged. “He can be weird sometimes. I mean… Maybe he’s going through something…”

He felt a bit guilty. What if Sasuke had been going through a difficult time lately while Naruto just had cared about himself?

“You should talk to him,” Mae said.

“… It’s not that easy. When he doesn’t want to talk it’s impossible to get a single word out of him.” He sighed. “Sometimes he just needs some time alone.”

“I think he’s very dependent of you.”

“Sasuke?” Naruto laughed. “No, he’d do just fine without me. I’m more dependent of him, actually.”

“Well… He…” She hesitated. “He doesn’t seem like the most emotionally stable person.”

Naruto stared at her. “What makes you think so?”

She shrugged. “Just… The way he looks at me, and… he does seem to have it out for me for some reason.”

Naruto frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s probably nothing,” she said with a small laugh. “He’s a bit rude, but maybe that’s just the way he is.”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, don’t take it personally. He can be that way.”

Naruto wanted to talk to Sasuke about what Mae had said, but he didn’t see Sasuke for the rest of that day except at dinner, and then he was gone again before Naruto could get the chance to talk to him alone. He was not in their bedroom that evening and though Naruto tried to stay awake for a while, he fell asleep before Sasuke came back.

That night he woke up to some strange sounds coming from Sasuke’s bed. He was having a bad dream judging by the way he flinched in his sleep and made guttural sounds deep in his throat. Naruto got up and approached Sasuke carefully. He wanted to wake him up to stop his suffering, but he was wary. It was always a certain danger combined with waking a sleeping shinobi, especially one that was so deep into a bad dream as Sasuke was. Naruto had no doubt he could defend himself, but he didn’t want Sasuke to accidentally set the house on fire.

So he talked to Sasuke instead. He whispered soothing words and, when he deemed it safe, he rubbed his arm gently. Slowly, Sasuke relaxed until he finally was sleeping calmly again.

Naruto stayed next to him for a few minutes longer before he went back to his own bed.

After that, Sasuke’s bad dreams seemed to worsen. A few nights later, he screamed himself awake. Naruto shot up in bed too, but before he could ask questions Sasuke had jumped out the window and was gone.

Naruto wished there was some way he could reach out to him, but he had no idea how to do it.

“Wanna go outside for a bit?” Mae asked one evening after dinner.

She leant casually on the kitchen counter next to Naruto. Naruto needed a reprieve from his churning thoughts regarding Sasuke.

“Sure,” he said.

He followed Mae out into the dusk. He heard crickets buzz in the bushes, and frogs croaking in the pond next to the stables. The air was warm even after sundown. Mae took him far away from the farm, over to a small hill on the other side of the fields. A smattering of trees covered the hill and a small creek trickled between smooth, round rocks.

Naruto picked up one rock and held it in the palm of his hand. It was still cold from the water.

Mae sat down on a small field of wildflowers and started picking some to make a wreath. She patted the ground next to her and he sat down.

They were quiet for a while. Naruto just enjoyed the gentle breeze that played with his hair, bringing with it an oddly familiar scent of crackling fire. Then he wondered how he’d gotten that image in his head, since fire in itself didn’t have a scent. 

Mae finished the wreath and scooted closer to Naruto. Her breast touched his arm as she leant over to put the wreath of flowers on his head.

Naruto blushed. He could see her face in the waning light, her eyes dark underneath her slightly lowered lashes. She was so close, the earthy scent from the ground mixed with her scent of freshly baked pastries and cinnamon. He closed his eyes as she leant closer, pressed her soft lips to his. He wondered if Sasuke’s lips were this soft…

No… he shouldn’t think of Sasuke like that. Angry with himself for bringing Sasuke into this, he focused one hundred percent on Mae, on her soft, curvy body, on her long hair, on her sweet scent. He kissed her more insistently. She groaned softly, let him push her backwards onto the grass.

He kneeled over her but she wanted him closer. She pulled him down on top of her, gasped when she felt his erection against her stomach.

“Have you done this before?” he whispered.

She giggled. “No.”

Naruto was about to say ‘me neither’, but he held back. He had the feeling she thought he was more experienced than he actually was.

“But I know that we need to use a condom,” she said and pressed a small packet into Naruto’s hand. His fingers clutched around the thing. He was starting to break into a sweat. He had never used a condom before, had never even touched one. The sex education on their school had been poor if not nonexistent (he wasn’t entirely sure since he might have skipped that day…) But now he was suddenly expected to know how to open and put on a condom in the fucking dark.

And if he did it wrong, there would be consequences.

Suddenly a thick smell of smoke reached them. Mae sat up. They both looked towards the crest of the hill, where they could see a faint, red glow.

No way… No fucking way…

Naruto got to his feet and sprinted up the hill. He was met with the sight of a smoldering fire languidly eating through the shrubbery on the hillside.

There had barely been any rain since the night they arrived, and even though that side of the hill was more rock and earth than grass, the fire could spread quickly if the wind turned. Naruto didn’t have time to find any other solution. He went into Kurama mode and used Kurama’s cloak to pat out the fire. Thankfully it hadn’t had time to spread much, which meant Sasuke couldn’t be far away.

“Sasuke!” he shouted and set off towards the farm. He couldn’t be sure of where he had gone off to, but the farm was his best guess.

He just knew that Sasuke was behind this (who else would start a fire in the middle of nowhere right next to where Naruto happened to be), and his suspicions were confirmed when he caught up to him in the middle of a field of wheat. He launched himself at Sasuke’s back and toppled him over. They landed hard, skidding to a stop with curses spilling from them both.

Sasuke tried to get Naruto off his back, but Naruto hung on, taking a chokehold on him to make him stop struggling.

“Have you lost it?” Naruto half-shouted.

“Fuck off,” Sasuke choked out and tried to elbow Naruto in the side.

They ended up on the side in the dry earth between the shivering wheat-stalks.

“Why did you follow me?” Naruto bit out. He was starting to lose his hold on Sasuke.

Sasuke managed to elbow Naruto hard in the ribs, and his grip loosened for a second. Sasuke rolled away from him, lightning fast.

“I didn’t realize you were planning to fuck that-“

“Hey!” Naruto snapped. He stumbled to his feet. “Don’t you dare say a bad word about Mae! And why the fuck did you think I went out there alone with her?”

“I didn’t think-“ Sasuke cut himself off.

He backed off. Naruto sensed he was about to run away again and pounced on him. Sasuke dodged him easily and now Naruto could see that his sharingan was activated. Well, if that was how it was going to be… He stilled for a moment to draw in nature energy. Sasuke noticed, of course, and tried to attack before Naruto could finish. His fist connected with Naruto’s face and sent him reeling backwards, but it was just a second too late to stop Naruto from going into sage mode.

From there on, it got messy. Neither of them wanted to draw too much attention, so they didn’t use jutsu’s. Instead they fell into a strangely satisfying rhythm of punches, kicks and dodges, of brutal and intense physical contact, trying to wrestle each other to the ground, trying to make the other give in.

They were panting harshly after what seemed like just minutes but must have been much longer since they both were exhausted. Sasuke was a dangerous fighter even with only one arm, but he was using more energy than Naruto and they both knew it. Naruto was just waiting for him to give in, but Sasuke refused to be goaded into using more energy than necessary.

Finally Naruto managed to get Sasuke down on the ground again, and this time his hold on him was much more solid. Sasuke tried to buck free but Naruto could feel that he was getting depleted.

“Is this the fight you wanted?” Sasuke growled between harsh breaths.

Naruto could feel his chest quickly rising and falling. He suddenly became very aware of how every inch of their bodies touched, and of how hard he was.

Sasuke must feel it too.

He pulled abruptly away.

“Let’s stop this here,” he panted, stumbling to his feet. “It’s enough now.”

Sasuke got swiftly to his feet and launched himself at Naruto. He grabbed his waist and toppled him backwards with the full strength of his upper body. He landed between Naruto’s legs and pulled a pained groan from him as he basically crushed his erection.

But either Sasuke didn’t notice or he didn’t care, because he didn’t waste a second crawling on top of Naruto, holding one of his hands captured in his own, his sharingan swirling.

He wasn’t wearing his eye patch and the rinnegan glinted dangerously in the cold moonlight.

They stayed like that, unmoving, to the point where Naruto wondered if Sasuke had managed to capture him in a genjutsu. But he could feel the way Sasuke’s body heaved with each quick breath, could feel a gentle breeze move his hair over his forehead.

And then Sasuke abruptly let go of him and got to his feet.

Naruto scrambled to his feet too. Sasuke was already walking away from him.

“Wait!” Naruto caught up to him. “What the fuck is up with you?”

Sasuke refused to look at him.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said. “If you want to stay, I don’t care. I’m done waiting for-“ He cut himself off and then he started running.

“Hey!” Naruto shouted. He sped up too.

Sasuke couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t be leaving just like that. They had agreed on a month.

He caught up to Sasuke outside the house, tackled him and slammed him against the wall.

“Let’s talk about this,” he bit out. “If there’s something I did, then let me at least try to fix it! How can I know what’s going on inside your head when you never talk to me?”

To his surprise, Sasuke started chuckling. 

“You don’t understand anything,” he spat. He grabbed the front of Naruto’s t-shirt as though he wanted to pull him closer, but then he pushed him away instead. “If you want to stay here and sleep around with the first and best woman you meet, then that’s fine by me, but don’t make me fucking stay and wait for you until you deign to notice I exist again.”

He turned away and darted into the house before Naruto could get out a single word. Sasuke’s words had hit him hard. It put the last few weeks into perspective. Sasuke had agreed to wait for Naruto’s sake, and Naruto had just ignored him and paid attention to other people. But wasn’t Sasuke to blame too? He was the one who had pushed Naruto away first. And besides, did he really expect Naruto to only pay attention to him? What was up with that?

He ran in, past the doorway to the kitchen where Mae and her mother stood.

“Naruto!” Mae called out. “Are you okay?”

She still had some grass in her hair.

Naruto didn’t have time to answer her. He took the stairs in two leaps and burst into his and Sasuke’s room.

Sasuke was already packing.

For a moment, all Naruto could feel was panic. Sasuke couldn’t be serious! He couldn’t be leaving just because… because Naruto had been about to sleep with a girl? Was that why he was leaving?

“I’m coming with you!” Naruto blurted out.

Sasuke stopped packing.

“If you leave, I leave too,” Naruto insisted.

For a moment, Sasuke remained frozen. But then he shook his head and continued packing.

“Fine,” was all he said, but his voice lacked the anger from earlier.

Naruto’s heart felt like it was about to take off from his chest. Could it really be…? Had Mae been right? Was Sasuke more dependent of him than he’d thought?

Or was it… Could he be jealous? Naruto barely dared hope.

“I hadn’t actually planned to sleep with her,” he said.

“Why do you think I care?” Sasuke said in a bored tone, contradicting his former anger over the same exact thing.

Naruto suppressed a smile. “No reason.”


	5. Deep Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd it's Sasuke's turn to have an embarrassing drunk episode...

Naruto felt stupid for thinking Sasuke had been jealous. As the next few days of travel passed in excruciating silence, Naruto got more and more convinced that Sasuke was just being crazy. Something had gotten into him. Those nightmares… Did they have anything to do with it? Had he been reminded of something from his past?

Whatever it was, it made him grouchy and testy and a general pain to be around.

Naruto made himself scarce, traveling as far away from Sasuke as he could without losing him out of sight, and trying to entertain himself. He read a lot and finished the book, but he couldn’t bring himself to destroy it. He came back to certain passages again and again, and each time he read them, he noticed something new.

The book served as both a comfort and a constant reminder of what he couldn’t have.

If it hadn’t been for Sasuke, then at least Naruto could have had something with Mae.

Instead he was stuck with someone whose presence tormented him in two ways. Firstly, because they were always so close to each other that it was difficult to find time to take care of certain physical needs, and secondly because Sasuke’s presence directly affected those physical needs…

Some nights, Sasuke even snuck into Naruto’s dreams where he continued to torture him with his stupid smirk and delicate collarbones and chiseled chest that he slowly revealed as he slid his shirt off and… and it was hot and bewildering and shameful that he wanted Sasuke so much even though he never could have him.

  
  


They reached a small town after what, in Naruto’s opinion, felt like weeks but was actually just three days. They stocked up on supplies and asked around for the way to the Silent Sea, since their map was very poorly detailed.

The reaction they got to their questions soon made them realize they were asking something forbidden. Some refused to tell them how to get there, while others just turned on their heel with a shocked expression and hurried away.

After a day of fruitless questioning, they went to bed none the wiser. Or, at least Naruto did. Sasuke didn’t come back that night. He had left Naruto some hours ago with a vague explanation that Naruto hadn’t paid much notice to. Now he regretted not asking where Sasuke had gone off to. Had he run into trouble somewhere? Naruto wasn’t exactly concerned about him since he knew that Sasuke was more of a danger to anyone than they were to him. But all the same, Sasuke’s absence nagged at him.

Had he chosen to leave Naruto behind?

Was that what all of this was about? Was he mad at Naruto for whatever stupid reason, and now he’d decided to punish him by leaving out of the blue?

Naruto didn’t get a wink of sleep. He stayed awake, waiting and waiting, until finally Sasuke stumbled into their room at four in the night.

Wait, stumbled?

In the semidarkness, Naruto could barely see Sasuke, but what he saw of his dark silhouette definitely seemed to be swaying. What was wrong with him?

Naruto was about to sit up when Sasuke stumbled over to him and sank to his knees next to him. He was hovering over Naruto now, and Naruto stayed perfectly still, one part of him alert, the other amazed.

Sasuke was really… really fucking drunk.

If it wasn’t so shocking it would have been pretty funny.

Without preamble Sasuke slumped, his head on Naruto’s chest. Naruto froze. Whoa. This was… Sasuke was really close.

“Um… Sas’ke?”

Sasuke just grumbled something, his breath hot against Naruto’s t-shirt.

“I… think you got the wrong bed,” Naruto said, though he wondered… hoped that Sasuke had come to him on purpose.

An insane thought dashed through his brain… What if Sasuke kissed him right now? What if he told him he loved him? His heart skipped a beat.

You heard the truth from drunk people, right?

Sasuke lifted himself up a little unsteadily. “Naruto?”

The fact that he could articulate perfectly even while this drunk sort of pissed Naruto off.

“Yeah. You planning to sleep on me or what?”

Naruto desperately hoped that his confused emotions weren’t evident in his voice. He tried to sound unruffled, a little annoyed.

Though Sasuke wasn’t resting on him anymore, he was still very close. Naruto could feel the amazing heat that came off him. Naruto generally ran a high temperature too, but Sasuke was something else. Right now, he was nearly scorching.

“Sasuke,” Naruto said when Sasuke just sat there, unmoving. “What do you want?”

Sasuke sighed. He reached for Naruto’s face, patted his cheek a little unsteadily, nearly poking Naruto’s eye. “Usuratonkachi,” he murmured.

Naruto’s belly erupted in soft flutters. Why did Sasuke have to be like this? Why did he have to say this kind of thing, sit so close, while seemingly not realizing what it did to Naruto?

Naruto sat up. “Come here. You need to go to bed.”

“Can I sleep with you?”

Naruto’s mind immediately went straight into the gutter, but then he mentally chastised himself. That could not have been what Sasuke had meant. He was drunk out of his mind and he’d chosen his words poorly without even realizing.

“Er…” Naruto said. “You’d probably be more comfortable on your own futon.”

Sasuke turned away from him.

“Why can’t you just…” Sasuke shook his head. “I don’t know… I don’t know what to do to make you see… You’re really important to me.”

Naruto could barely get out a word. Sasuke’s words had punched the air out of him. “You’re important to me too,” he said hoarsely.

“No… Not like that…”

Naruto’s heart sank.

Sasuke drew away from him. “Why did you have to ruin it?”

“I’m sorry,” Naruto said, desperate to make Sasuke stay with him and keep talking. “I didn’t mean-“

“We were just fine before her…” Sasuke mumbled.

He fell sideways over on Naruto’s futon.

Naruto was left sitting there in puzzlement. Before… Who?

His first thought was Sakura for some reason, but he couldn’t make sense out of that. Did Sasuke regret pushing her away? But why would he blame Naruto for that?

Then it occurred to him that he might be talking about Mae.

Naruto crawled over to Sasuke. “I didn’t feel anything for her,” he said, desperately hoping that it was the right thing to say. “I mean, she was sweet and everything, but it was just a fling.”

He poked Sasuke, who had become completely motionless.

“Sasuke? Are you awake?”

Sasuke grumbled and pushed away Naruto’s hand.

“I’m sorry for whatever I did,” Naruto said. “I didn’t mean to ruin what we had…”

Sasuke snored.

“What the fuck, Sasuke?” Naruto shook Sasuke’s shoulder. “I’m pouring my heart out here…” He sighed. There was no point in reasoning with a drunk person anyway.

\-----

Sasuke woke up with a blinding headache. It was nothing less than what he deserved for his stupidity. He had wanted to take the edge off the confusing turmoil of feelings that he’d been in ever since…  _ that _ incident. But one glass of sake quickly turned into two and then three, and after that he’d lost count.

He couldn’t remember anything from last night, but apparently he had made it back to their inn safely. He sat up, groaning. He was in his shirt and pants, but his jacket and shoes had been removed.

Wait… Why was he… He looked around the room. This was not his futon.

… Why had he slept on Naruto’s futon?

A cold shiver ran down his spine. What exactly had he done last night?

Naruto wasn't there, but the bed sheets were rumbled and still warm, so he must have left recently. Sasuke was lying on top of the sheets, his feet next to Naruto’s pillow. So they probably hadn’t…

He shook his head (then immediately regretted it). Of course they hadn’t. But he might have made a fool out of himself by saying more than he should… He wondered how bad the damage was. He had no idea what he was like when he was drunk, because he rarely got drunk. He hoped he was the quiet sort of drunk, but he worried that he might be the opposite and become a bit too forward.

He tried to take his mind off all the possible scenarios, one worse than the other, by cleaning up a bit. But he was hit by a dizzy spell as he got to his feet and stumbled, nearly falling face first down on the floor thanks to Naruto’s bag standing in the way. He managed to avoid a very ungraceful fall thanks to his reactions still being quick despite his state, but he toppled Naruto’s bag and some of his belongings fell out.

Sasuke kneeled and picked up the things. He smiled at the sight of the old, worn froggy purse… What a moron… Then he noticed a book that had fallen out, cover down. It didn’t look like the gutsy ninja book… He picked it up and turned it around.

And then he stared. And stared.

_ Clandestine Affairs,  _ the title read and there was a picture of two men kissing on the cover.

Sasuke frowned. Why was this in Naruto’s bag?

Was Naruto reading this?

… Why was Naruto reading it?

Sasuke’s brain really wasn’t at the top of its game this morning. It slowly occurred to him that, yes, seeing that the book was in Naruto’s bag, he must be reading it, and he must have been keeping it secret all the time since they left the Conch, maybe even before, because they hadn’t seen any book shops since then.

But why was Naruto reading gay erotica?

The answer was obvious, Sasuke just couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Naruto couldn’t be… He’d been with that  _ woman _ . He’d always liked women, hadn’t he?

Honestly, Sasuke couldn’t know that for sure. He’d always thought of Naruto as someone who was unable to keep anything secret, but he had been able to keep this book a secret for several weeks. What else could he have been keeping secret?

Sasuke heard footsteps outside and hurriedly put all of Naruto’s belongings into his bag again. He closed it just in time before Naruto entered the room.

Naruto grinned when he saw Sasuke.

Okay… That was a promising reaction.

“I brought you some food,” he said, “and water.”

Sasuke caught the bottle of water and the packet of onigiri that Naruto threw to him.

“So…” Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. “I guess we’ve both seen each other drunk now.”

Sasuke paused in the middle of a sip of water. He slowly lowered the bottle.

“Why did you go off alone?” Naruto said. “I’d have liked to come with you.”

“You would just have emptied our savings,” Sasuke muttered. His voice was scratchy. “Besides, you’re not old enough to drink yet.”

Naruto huffed. “So now you care about that.” He went over and collapsed onto his futon.

For a while a tense silence resided. Sasuke tried to pretend like nothing, but he was hyper aware of Naruto’s presence. His mind kept churning. What had he done last night? How much did Naruto know? Why had they shared a futon?

“Do you remember anything from last night?” Naruto said carefully after a moment.

Sasuke considered lying and saying yes in the hopes that Naruto would divulge things that he otherwise might have kept to himself, but on the other hand he wasn’t sure he wanted to know about it.

“No,” he said.

“You were really shitfaced,” Naruto said with a chuckle.

Sasuke cleared his throat. “What did I do?”

“Nothing much… You, uh… Mistook my futon for yours and you said some weird stuff, but that’s about it.”

Sasuke’s stomach clenched. “What kind of weird stuff?”

“I don’t know… you didn’t make much sense.”

Naruto didn’t meet Sasuke’s gaze. Maybe he could keep secrets, but he’d never been a good liar. 

Sasuke sighed. “What exactly did I say?”

Naruto hesitated. “Um… You said that I ruined it… That we were fine before… her…” He trailed off.

Sasuke wished he could combust in that moment. Was that a possibility?

“I didn’t know what I was saying,” he said levelly. “Don’t take it seriously.”

Naruto opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but closed it again. He shrugged. ”I figured that.”

\------

For the next two days they travelled through uninhabited woodland. Their only company was the occasional bird, and at one point some sort of four legged creature that escaped into the bushes, swift as a shadow.

They tried, unsuccessfully, to set some traps, but either the animals in this forest were too smart, or there simply… weren’t many animals.

Naruto was relieved when he finally saw a huge, dark body of water in the distance that had to be the Silent Sea.

At the edge of the sea they found a small town, but there was no port and the town seemed uninhabited. The few houses had barred windows, and weeds were growing in the streets.

A narrow, winding road led down to the eerily quiet sea. Naruto couldn’t hear any sound of waves hitting the shore or the sound of birds that would normally have thrived in such an environment.

Everything was steeped in deafening silence.

“It seems like we’re not getting further than this,” Sasuke said.

Naruto perked up a little. “What a shame,” he said. “Maybe we just have to head on north-west to the Land of Miso instead.”

Sasuke snorted. “You would have liked that, wouldn’t you.”

“Hello, strangers,” a rickety old voice said from behind them. They both spun around, startled that someone had managed to sneak up on them. A tiny old man leaning on a cane stood in front of them. He was wearing a hood that was pulled up so that his face was hidden in darkness. Only a long, gray beard poked out from its depth.

“How may I help you?” the man said.

“We want to cross the sea,” Sasuke said. “Are there any boats nearby?”

The old man shook his head. “You can’t cross this sea. It’s impossible.”

“Why?” Naruto said.

The man chuckled. “You’re not from around here, that much is obvious.”

“No,” Naruto said, “we come from- ugh…”

Sasuke had elbowed him so hard he almost doubled over.

“It doesn’t matter where we’re from,” Sasuke said. “We just want to find safe passage to the lands beyond this sea.”

The old man hummed. “If you seek something beyond this sea, you’ll need to head north-east from here.”

“We would have preferred to avoid the Eternal Forest.”

The old man made a strange, hoarse croaking sound. It took a moment before Naruto realized he was laughing.

“Believe me,” the man said. “You’d much rather brave the forest than the sea. As you can see, the wind never touches these waters anymore. This land is cursed. You’d do well to leave it behind.”

Naruto shuddered. “Maybe we should do as he says,” he said and grabbed Sasuke’s arm. “We could just go back and head north instead…”

“A good suggestion,” the old man said. “The Land of Miso is really much more suited for tourists, and they make the most deliciously mouthwatering ramen.”

“We’re not tourists,” Sasuke said.

“But we could be,” Naruto pointed out.

“How long will it take us to reach the forest?” Sasuke said.

The old man sighed. “About seven days march north from here, though I suppose for your kind, you’ll make the journey in half that time.”

Naruto turned towards Sasuke. “See, that’s just a huge detour… Wait… What do you mean by ‘our kind’?” Naruto blinked. “Where did the old man go?”

“I don’t know,” Sasuke said, “You distracted me.”

Naruto clung more tightly to Sasuke. “D-do you think he was a ghost?”

Sasuke sighed. He turned away, tugging Naruto along with him. “He was just a completely ordinary, slightly crazy old man.”

“Wait… Why are you going in that direction? If he was just a crazy old man, then maybe we shouldn’t listen to him!”

“I agree,” Sasuke said.

“Then why are you going north?”

“It was the old man who suggested we go to the Land of Miso. So if we follow your logic, we should do the opposite of that, meaning we should go to the forest.”

Naruto groaned. Defeated by his own logic. He realized he was clinging really tightly to Sasuke and hurried to put a bit of distance between them.

“I’m only going along with this because I don’t want to let you go alone,” he said.

“Of course,” Sasuke said.

“I don’t want you to get into trouble without backup.”

“Understandable.”

Naruto huffed. Sasuke was just making fun of him.

He walked closer to Sasuke and nudged his shoulder. Sasuke nudged him back a little harder, making Naruto stumble. Naruto straightened himself and barged into Sasuke’s side, almost making him fall over. Then he started running because Sasuke looked like he was out for blood.

“I bet I can beat you to those rocks over there!” Naruto yelled.

“Yeah, because you cheated!” Sasuke shouted.

Naruto sped up. 

Naruto didn’t know what did it, but the dark mood that had been hanging over them since they entered the Land of Silence evaporated. The weather was getting balmier and the wildlife was returning to the green, lush landscape around them as they went farther and farther north, following the edge of the sea. Slowly, they started heading east and soon they could see the dark line of the Eternal Forest on the horizon. Naruto didn’t look forward to reaching it. It seemed ominous.

Sasuke was in an unusually good mood. He’d started teasing Naruto again, and when Naruto sought out physical contact in the form of shoves and nudges, he nudged or shoved him back. It wasn’t much, but Naruto still felt an overwhelming thrill at the attention.

One morning when they decided to catch some fish in a nearby river for breakfast, they even got into a playful fight. The air was warm but the water was cold. Sasuke stood in the middle of the river with his pants rolled up to his knees, both his eyes uncovered now that there were no people around. He didn’t seem to feel the numbing chill of the water. Naruto waited at the edge of the water, ready to catch any fish that Sasuke threw his way.

But when it happened he was not prepared because he’d been busier admiring Sasuke’s face than watching his hands. He fumbled and the fish slipped through his fingers in a mad dash for safety. Naruto lunged after it, almost catching it but at the last minute it slid out of his hands.

Naruto straightened up, but he was standing in the water and there were slippery stones underfoot. He slipped and flailed, grabbing the nearest thing, which happened to be Sasuke. Sasuke fell, landing in the water with a huge splash while Naruto regained his footing.

Naruto laughed at the disgruntled look Sasuke gave him as he broke the surface of the water. He looked like a wet cat.

But he didn’t laugh for long because in the next moment, Sasuke flew at Naruto, pushing him down in the water and holding him under. Naruto flailed, trying to get a hold of something. His foot connected with Sasuke’s leg and for a second, Sasuke lost his balance. It was enough of a distraction to let Naruto out of his grip. He gasped for air, but before he could get his bearings, Sasuke was over him again.

They fought for a while, trying to get the upper hand, and their fight brought them to the riverbank.

Sasuke straddled Naruto. He looked so triumphant when he managed to catch both of Naruto’s arms in his and held them over Naruto’s head.

For a moment, they were at a standstill.

They were both breathing hard. Sasuke was leaning over Naruto, his hair dripping. Rivulets of water were running down his face, down his neck, down to the see-through shirt that was plastered to his chest.

Despite the cold water, Naruto suddenly felt very hot.

He quickly looked up at Sasuke’s face again. Had he stared for too long? Had Sasuke noticed?

Their eyes met.

Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat. What was that look on Sasuke’s face?

Wide, dark… searching…

Then Sasuke stood abruptly and got out of the water.

“We’ve scared away the fish,” he said. “We’ll just have to settle for rations.”

Naruto sighed. Still… It was worth it.

\-----

Sasuke became aware of a few things the moment that he had pinned Naruto down in the chilled water. One of them, the most prominent one, was that Naruto couldn’t hide his body anymore in the wet t-shirt that clung to his skin. The muscular chest that he usually kept hidden under baggy, long-sleeved jackets was now proudly on display as he resisted Sasuke’s hold.

For an awkward moment, their eyes met and they stared at each other for what felt like eons before Sasuke managed to pull away.

For the following days, Sasuke avoided any physical closeness with Naruto. They’d been getting a bit too touchy feely lately and the light, innocent touches just made Sasuke crave more. It was despairing to not know what Naruto felt about it. The fact that Naruto read gay erotica didn’t mean that he wanted Sasuke in that way. He’d always been very clear about seeing Sasuke as a friend only.

“What’s up?” Naruto said and made Sasuke jump.

Sasuke had been so deep in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that Naruto came up next to him. They had entered into the forest that morning, and so far it was a good experience. The forest was soothingly quiet and familiar, teeming with woodland life and brooks with crystal clear water.

“Nothing,” Sasuke muttered.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” Naruto said. “I mean, unusually quiet, and that’s pretty quiet seeing it’s you we’re talking about.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Unlike you, I don’t need to constantly broadcast every thought I have.”

Naruto groaned. “Whatever. If you’re gonna be a bastard I’m not gonna bother.”

Naruto’s reaction surprised Sasuke. Usually he didn’t take Sasuke’s comments so seriously. Maybe Sasuke wasn’t the only one who was struggling with things.

Sasuke made an effort to pay attention to Naruto after that.

When they camped for the night, he kept the conversation going, trying to make Naruto ease up a bit. It worked. Naruto happily prattled on, his mood lifting immediately. Sasuke had a tendency to draw into himself when he was struggling with something and he’d just assumed that Naruto was the same way. But Naruto was the opposite. He needed to talk to someone to process his thoughts and feelings.

Even though Sasuke wasn’t very invested in the conversation at first, he found that he was drawn in by Naruto’s enthusiasm and the obvious change in his mood. He hadn’t been aware that he had the power to make Naruto feel like this, and the discovery made him want to try harder.

He took the first watch for the night. Naruto fell asleep immediately. Sasuke found it difficult to look away from him. Naruto looked so stupid in his sleep, and yet Sasuke felt nothing but the deepest affection when he looked at him. 

He rubbed his face and raked his fingers through his hair, wishing he could rid himself of this feeling. He wanted to feel nothing but friendship for Naruto. It would make everything so much simpler. It would mean that eventually letting go of him wouldn’t be so… excruciating.

He slipped over to Naruto’s side of the fire and kneeled by his head. He touched Naruto’s hair gently. The tip of his middle finger brushed the shell of Naruto’s ear and he froze, afraid it would wake him up. But Naruto just sighed and slept on.

Sasuke pulled away. It felt wrong to do this towards Naruto while he slept, even if it was just a small touch. But this was the only way he could be this close to Naruto outside of their fights. 

He drew away with reluctance.

What would happen if he told Naruto? He had never entertained that idea before. These feelings had been a secret for so long that putting them into words seemed impossible. And once they were said, there was no taking them back. There was no way of controlling what those words could unleash. 

As they moved further into the forest, the mood shifted. Where they before had heard birds singing and had seen hares and small rodents leap out of sight into the underbrush, now everything was surprisingly quiet. They couldn’t even hear the wind because the trees that crowded around them like silent sentinels kept out even the smallest breeze.

Out of instinct they started moving more quietly too, aware of every small sound they made. They followed a well-trodden path at first, but after a few days it started forking and then it started disappearing until suddenly it was entirely gone. They had nothing more than a compass to rely on after that. But as deep underneath the tree crowns as they were, it was difficult sometimes to know what time of day it was. They had to climb up into the trees several times a day to orientate themselves.

They started traveling by tree branches as the trees grew larger and the branches became wider and easier to land on. It almost felt like they were back home again, in a way. The forest would always be familiar territory to them, even when they were hundreds of miles from home.

Sasuke found that spending time with Naruto like this, alone in the wilderness, far away from other people, felt intimate in a way that he hadn’t experienced before. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a stronger need to bond with Naruto. He’d always been drawn to him but he’d never considered giving in to it before. Their relationship had always been one of extremes, where Naruto chased and Sasuke ran away. Up until this point, Sasuke had been running away in an attempt to free himself from the power Naruto had over him.

It frightened him, that power, but what frightened him even more was how much he wanted to give in to it.

After many days of walking, their scenery changed again. The forest became lusher and they started seeing animals again, some of which they were unfamiliar with. In particular there were a lot of colorful birds that watched them curiously from the branches of tall, leafy trees. They started encountering snakes more often too. Sasuke didn’t mind but Naruto was extremely unhappy about it, especially after that morning when he woke up to find a huge snake slithering across his chest.

Sasuke had ordered him to stay put and not move an inch, and it was probably thanks to numbing terror that Naruto did as he said.

Once the snake had passed, entirely unconcerned about their presence, Naruto had done a full body shiver and yelled at Sasuke for not helping him.

“It wasn’t a threat to us,” Sasuke had said, which was the truth.

He didn’t want to harm any creature that wasn’t a danger to them.

After that, Naruto had started moving his bedroll closer and closer to Sasuke’s, until they were basically sleeping side by side. Sasuke didn’t comment on it. He secretly enjoyed it. He even enjoyed waking up to find that Naruto had reached out during the night in order to be as close to Sasuke as possible, but he never let Naruto find out that he was doing it. He didn’t want him to stop and he was afraid he would if he knew about it.

Sasuke had started losing count of the days a while ago, but he was pretty sure they had been walking through the forest for at least a week. They had used up their rations, but there was enough animal life around them to keep them from starving. But as even more days passed and they still hadn’t seen the smallest signs of human civilization, even Sasuke started getting a little concerned. They were in unfamiliar territory and had a very vague grasp of where they were headed. For all he knew, this forest really was eternal.

But he didn’t voice his worries to Naruto. Sasuke was the one who had dragged them into this, so it was his responsibility to get them out of it. He knew that Naruto trusted him, and he couldn’t give him reason to waver in that trust.

Eventually they came across a well-trodden path. They followed it eastwards, but they met no people and saw no signs of civilization, not even a single house or a small hut. The path varied in strength, sometimes it was just a band of downtrodden grass, other times it was a dirt path that showed signs of regular use.

Then one day, their path was cut off by a huge chasm in the ground. The forest stopped abruptly by a steep cliff that plunged into a narrow valley where a river flowed at the bottom.

After a moment of searching they found a smaller path that continued along the edge of the chasm. They followed it until they reached a rickety looking rope bridge.

“Is this thing safe?” Naruto said and tugged at the massive rope fastened to a rock that held the whole thing up.

There was a fifty-foot drop to the surging waters below.

“We should be careful,” Sasuke said.

Naruto put his weight on the first few wooden planks of the bridge. He took a few more steps and jumped up and down. “I guess it’s strong enough to hold us,” he said.

Sasuke followed him onto the bridge. Once they reached the middle, they felt the wind tug at them. The bridge swayed and lurched so suddenly that Naruto almost was flung over the railing, but caught himself.

Sasuke crouched to avoid the same fate.

“Naruto!” Sasuke yelled. “Get dow-“

It happened in slow motion. Not what Sasuke had feared, but something worse. The wooden boards gave out under Naruto’s weight just as he turned around in response to Sasuke’s shout. He looked surprised for a second before he dropped like a sack of flour. Sasuke heard a sickening crack as Naruto’s head hit a wooden board and then he was gone.

Sasuke didn’t stop to think. Without a second of hesitation, he flung himself off the bridge and plummeted after Naruto.


	6. Undercurrents

Sasuke tried to catch Naruto with his susanoo before he hit the water, but he was too late. He felt a stab of ice-cold fear as he watched Naruto disappear into the wild, churning depths of the river. Naruto’s unconscious body could get slammed against the steep cliff sides or get pulled down by the strong currents. He could be taken far away from Sasuke in a few seconds. 

With his susanoo fully formed, Sasuke stayed airborne, floating along the river. He activated his sharingan and searched desperately for Naruto’s chakra signature. His heart slammed in his chest. There was no sign of Naruto anywhere. The steep cliff sides were narrowing in around him and from around a bend in the river he heard the rumbling of a waterfall. Panic started setting in. 

He couldn’t lose Naruto. It was unthinkable. Unbearable. 

He flew down closer to the water and suddenly he noticed a vague, warm signature that just disappeared around the bend in the river. He sped up, barely able to maneuver between the narrow stone walls, and dove down, desperately searching… There! He reached out. He had to catch him this time, he couldn’t miss… The waterfall was quickly coming closer. Naruto’s chakra signature was so weak. 

The hand of his susanoo closed around something soft and faintly warm just as the river plunged down into a hundred feet drop. 

Sasuke drifted down to the uneven bank of stones flanking the river below the waterfall and put Naruto gently down on the ground before he dispelled his susanoo.

He kneeled and turned Naruto over so he was lying on his back. He looked completely lifeless. Sasuke slapped Naruto’s cheeks but there was no response. He pressed his ear to Naruto’s chest, but he couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not…

“Don’t do this to me, Naruto," Sasuke whispered brokenly. "Don’t you dare leave me.”

He cursed his lacking arm. In order to give Naruto sufficient CPR he needed two hands.

He leant over Naruto and opened his slack mouth. Then he pinched his nose and hoped that his mouth would stay open. Naruto was unnaturally cold to the touch. Sasuke had to force himself to stay calm. It wasn’t over yet. He would do everything in his power to keep Naruto alive. 

He pressed his lips to Naruto’s mouth and blew into it. He did it again and again until his lungs were aching, but Naruto remained just as lifeless. With no other option left, Sasuke opted for a more drastic action. He made a chidori and pressed it right against Naruto’s chest, shocking him so hard that his whole body shook. Immediately Naruto gasped, choked, and started coughing up water. Sasuke quickly helped him roll onto his side so that the water could flow freely out.

Naruto groaned once the worst of the coughing was over. There was blood coloring the back of his head red. Sasuke was still shaken from the fright that Naruto had given him. He felt oddly vulnerable, almost close to tears. 

But Naruto didn’t notice any of that. He looked up at Sasuke with bleary eyes and snorted.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said and laughed weakly.

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke choked out. “How could you be so careless?”

Naruto winced as he sat up.

“That would have been a stupid way to go,” he said. “Imagine the headlines: famous war hero bested by a rope bridge.”

“Can you stand?” Sasuke said. He reached out and helped Naruto to his feet.

“Ooh…” Naruto swayed. “Dizzy…”

He flinched when Sasuke grabbed his left arm.

“I think I…” Naruto kneeled on the ground. “I feel queasy.”

Sasuke looked around in the hopes of spotting a sheltered place where they could rest for a while, but all around him there were only uneven rocks and a smooth, steep cliffside covered in vines.

“Hey!” Someone called out.

Sasuke turned towards the voice. Three people came towards them along a narrow path following the river upstream. One of the persons waved and shouted, “Do you need help?”

Sasuke eyed the three persons with suspicion as they came closer. It turned out to be three women, all of whom seemed to be civilians. At least they looked non hostile. 

“We could really use some help,” Naruto said to the woman who had reached them first. “I’m kinda…”

He toppled forward. Sasuke caught him just in time to save him from knocking his head on the rocks.

“Come with me,” the woman said. “I’ll take you to my village where you can get medical assistance.”

She had an honest smile and a relaxed but powerful stance. She seemed like someone reliable, and honestly they had little choice but to trust her.

\------

When Naruto woke up, it felt like he was still in a dream. The small room with its white interior and fluffy, cloud-like pillows was like taken straight out from a heavenly dreamscape. The man sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to him completed the illusion.

Naruto reached out and touched him, just to check if he was real.

Sasuke turned around, looking surprised, and Naruto dropped his hand.

“I’m not dead?” Naruto said.

A small smile tickled the corner of Sasuke’s mouth. “Not yet.”

Naruto nodded. “It makes sense, I guess. I wouldn’t have been in pain otherwise.”

To his surprise, Sasuke looked genuinely concerned.

“Where do you feel the pain?” he said.

“Oh, just… my head aches, and…” Naruto lifted his left hand and winced. “What happened here?”

“You broke your arm,” Sasuke said. “So I guess it’ll take, what, a few days for you to recover?”

“A broken bone? Nah, it’ll be closer to a week.”

Sasuke scoffed, but the small smile was still on his lips. “Poor you.”

“So… Where are we?”

“In a small village at the edge of the forest. The people here seem okay. All of them are very eager to help.”

“Have I been out for long?” Naruto tried to sit up, ignoring the pain that lanced up the back of his skull.

“Just a few hours. What are you doing?”

“I’m starving. Is there any place we can get some food?”

“You should lay down again. I’ll get you something.”

Naruto was too perplexed to protest. Sasuke was being surprisingly caring and Naruto liked it. A lot.

He laid back down and after a while Sasuke came back with a bowl of broth. Naruto sat up so that he could eat it and downed it in no time.

“That was really good!”

“Want me to get you more?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

\------

Sasuke sat by Naruto’s bedside until he fell asleep again. He kept thinking back to the moment when he’d fetched Naruto out of the river and had thought that he was lifeless. The fear still stuck with him.

He never wanted to experience something like that again.

Which was probably why he was so unwilling to leave Naruto alone for even a second.

Yuna, the woman who had brought them to the village, came and checked up on them. She asked if Sasuke wanted to go outside and stretch his legs for a bit, but he declined.

He sat by Naruto’s bedside the entire day and during the night he slept next to him. It was a double bed, but they were already used to sleeping in close quarters so Sasuke didn’t wonder about why they had been offered a room with only one bed.

He fell asleep at some point and woke up from a shadowy nightmare with a jolt, immediately activating his sharingan to make sure Naruto was still there. He calmed down when he saw his chakra flowing calmly as it should in a restful sleep. Eventually Sasuke fell asleep again and slept until morning.

This time he remembered his dream when he woke up. His hands had been covered in blood and Naruto had been lying lifeless next to him. He shook the dream off as he usually did. It was not the first time he had it.

Naruto was already feeling better that morning. He refused to stay in bed any longer, and when Yuna and her friend Lila came and asked if they wanted to go bathing, Naruto eagerly said yes.

Sasuke came with them, mostly because it was the middle of the day and the heat was unbearable, so a bath sounded refreshing.

The girls led them to a secluded waterfall a few hundred meters into the forest. It was cool in the shade of the trees, and the water flowed calm and clear in the pond beneath the waterfall.

Naruto immediately pulled off his shirt and started undoing his pants.

Sasuke stared for a moment too long before he averted his gaze.

“Wait,” Yuna said to Naruto. “You’ll get your bandage wet.”

“I’ll just keep my arm above the water,” Naruto reassured her.

Sasuke wanted to tell him not to be an idiot because there was no way Naruto the spaz would manage to keep his arm over water the entire time, but he forgot his words at the sight of Naruto running into the water in only his boxers.

“Come on!” Lila said to Sasuke. “Get in, the water is great!”

Yuna was already in her bikini. She jumped into the water from a big rock, narrowly avoiding splashing Naruto and his bandaged arm.

Sasuke started undressing now that the three others were focused elsewhere, and slipped into the cool water. He swam a little away from the others. The heat and his confusing feelings made him a bit uncomfortable about being in close proximity to a half-naked Naruto.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before Naruto sought him out. Sasuke swam away from him in the hopes that he’d give up and go back to the girls, but Naruto followed him over to the waterfall.

“Don’t get your bandages wet,” Sasuke warned.

“I won’t,” Naruto said, despite the fact that they were already wet.

Sasuke shifted away when Naruto moved closer to him. He ended up with his back against a rock.

Naruto grinned. “Did you really watch over me the whole time while I was recovering? Yuna said so.”

Sasuke shrugged. “I just did what I had to.”

Naruto chuckled. “I didn’t realize you cared so much about me.”

He averted his eyes and scratched his temple.

“It’s what friends do,” Sasuke muttered, though it physically hurt to say the words.

Naruto chewed on his bottom lip. “Yeah,” he said. “Of course, yeah.”

They were so close to each other. Uncomfortably close. He could count each one of Naruto’s eyelashes.

“Thank you for jumping after me,” Naruto said. “I don’t think I said it earlier, but… Well… I’m glad I have you around when I’m being a moron and not watching where I’m going.”

Sasuke tried to focus on what Naruto was saying, and not on his practically naked body that was only inches from his own.

“Someone has to do it,” he said.

Naruto’s face brightened into a soft smile, his cheeks dusted with pink.

All Sasuke could think about was kissing him.

Unable to bear it any longer, he pushed off from the rock and swam around Naruto. Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s arm and said with a laugh, “Hey, are you avoiding me or something?”

Sasuke spun around and shoved him away.

“I just need a few moments of peace,” he said. “Is that too much to ask?”

Naruto looked stunned.

“Okay… sorry then...” he muttered and swam away.

Sasuke refused to acknowledge the guilt he felt when pushing Naruto away. Instead he found himself a cool, quiet place between some rocks where he could relax and not think about Naruto. At all.

\-----

“Lover’s spat?” Yuna said when Naruto rejoined them.

“What?” Naruto said.

“You two are really cute together,” Lila said. “How long have you been dating?”

Naruto just stared at them in shock. “We’re not dating.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Lila said. “I was so convinced that you were a couple.”

“What made you think so?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure… You just seem coupley, I guess.”

“No, we… We’re just friends.”

Lila and Yuna exchanged a quick glance. Thankfully they dropped the subject and went for a swim, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts. He stared longingly at Sasuke who had his eyes closed and his head leaned back against a rock. He looked peaceful, like he was sleeping.

He wondered why Sasuke suddenly had been so dismissive. He had been so kind and caring the day before.

Yuna and Lila started chasing each other through the water, laughing as Lila tried to dunk Yuna. But Yuna, being taller and stronger, just lifted her up instead.

And then they kissed. On the mouth.

Naruto just stared, utterly perplexed.

Yuna noticed his look. “Do you have a problem with it?” she said crisply.

“No, no!” Naruto waved his hands in front of him. “Absolutely not! It’s just… Where I come from, it’s unusual to see... I grew up thinking I was the only one…”

“Oh, sweetie,” Yuna said. She put an arm around Naruto’s shoulders. “You’re definitely not the only one. Even though it might seem that way if your society doesn’t accept gay people, it’s just because they’re laying low. Like your friend.”

Naruto frowned. “Wait… You mean Sasuke?”

Lila chuckled. “He’s definitely gay.”

“No way… Why do you think so?”

“The way he looks at you, dummy!” Lila said. “And he literally hasn’t left your side since you guys came here. He was so worried about you.”

“But he’s my friend. I mean, isn’t that… normal?”

“There’s a difference between friendly concern and the concern for someone you love. You obviously weren’t in danger, but he still worried about you. And besides, he was definitely checking you out just now, when you got into the water.”

Naruto turned bright red. He glanced over to where Sasuke was resting in the water. The waterfall would drown out their voices at that distance, but Naruto still worried that he’d hear them.

“Really?” he whispered.

Lila nodded. “No question about it.”

“You like him too, don’t you?” Yuna said.

Naruto felt his blush spread to his neck. “Is it that obvious?”

Yuna nodded. “To anyone but the two of you, apparently.”

“We have a complicated past,” Naruto said. “The fact that we’re here together right now is kinda incredible.”

“I think you should go for it,” Lila said. “I was really nervous about asking Yuna out too. We’re a small community and back then I wasn’t sure if she was into girls, but I took a chance and it paid off.”

“But what if I ruin everything?” Naruto said. “Even our friendship is kinda fragile. If I lose him, I can’t… I…”

He rubbed his face and Yuna patted his shoulder. “I get it,” she said. “It isn’t easy to take that leap. I’d probably never have dared to, so I’m glad Lila was braver than me.”

“He’s coming over,” Lila whispered.

Naruto looked up to see Sasuke swim towards them.

“Listen,” Yuna whispered urgently. “He’s probably jealous. Play along.”

She wrapped her arm around Naruto’s shoulder and laughed. Her breasts pressed against Naruto’s chest. He grinned awkwardly and glanced over at Sasuke. He really did look annoyed. It reminded him of how he’d been around Mae.

“You’re so funny, Naruto,” Yuna said. “Say, do you wanna hang out with us tonight? Get a few drinks?”

“He can’t,” Sasuke said. All three of them looked at him immediately. “Because of the head injury,” Sasuke clarified. “He shouldn’t drink.”

“Oh, right,” Yuna said. “What a shame.”

“But… Wouldn’t it be like taking pain killers?” Naruto said. He was playing along now, fascinated by the obvious annoyance Sasuke directed towards Yuna. He looked like he was one bad excuse away from prying them apart.

“You’ll regret it in the morning,” Sasuke said.

Yuna sighed and placed one hand on Naruto’s chest. A trickle of excitement ran through Naruto. Yuna smelled really good, like roses.

“How unfortunate,” she said, “But he’s right. You should rest some more. Maybe we could hang out tomorrow?”

By now Sasuke was watching her with murderous intent, and Naruto decided it was best to give it a rest. He pushed her gently away.

“Yeah, sure,” he said.

Yuna must have sensed that she shouldn’t push it further. “All right then,” she said. “We’ll be leaving now. See you around!”

After the girls had left, Naruto turned to Sasuke. “You didn’t have to be so cold towards them.”

“They were annoying,” Sasuke said dismissively.

“Um, no. Not really.”

“So you enjoyed having her hands all over you?”

Naruto shrugged. “Can’t complain.”

Sasuke turned away and made his way to the riverbank. “Then go and hang out with them. I don’t care.”

Naruto was about to open his mouth and come with a retort, but it died in his throat when Sasuke got out of the water. His black briefs clung to his firm ass, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Naruto just stood there gaping like a fish.

“I think I’ll just relax here for a little while longer,” he said.

There was no way he was getting out of the water until Sasuke left. 

The night was inhumanly hot and humid. Naruto regretted not insisting on getting a room with two single beds. After bathing by the waterfall and what transpired there, his feelings were jumbled and confusing. It didn’t help that he had to share a double bed with Sasuke.

He was acutely aware of Sasuke’s presence next to him, even though he was lying as far away from him as he possibly could. Every single cell in his body felt excruciatingly alive.

He twisted and turned, unable to relax. If he had his own bed, then he could have slept naked. But that was out of the question now.

“Can you be quiet for fucks sake,” Sasuke snapped after the tenth time Naruto twisted and sighed.

“It’s so hot,” Naruto whined. “I can’t sleep.”

“Thanks to you, neither can I,” Sasuke grumbled.

Naruto sat up. “I need some fresh air.”

He got up and put on his pants. Then he left their room and walked along the path to the waterfall where they had bathed earlier. The path was lit up by a row of lanterns, so it was easy to find.

The place was quiet with the exception of the crickets playing in the grass and some nighttime birds that crooned somewhere deep inside the woods.

He sat down on the sandy shore, leaning back against a rock, and dipped one foot into the water. It was refreshingly cold.

He debated whether he should take a cold bath, or… He looked down at the bulge in his pants.

It was unlikely that someone would walk by at this hour and the temptation to touch was too strong. It had been so long since the last time he’d had the time and privacy to take care of himself.

He unzipped his pants and took out his cock, groaning in relief as he started stroking it. As he got into it, unbidden images flooded his mind. He was incapable of not thinking about Sasuke. Of his ass when he got out of the water earlier, of his body as they had stood so close in the water. His nipples had grown taut in the cold water, and Naruto had tried not to stare too much.

He thought about what Lila had said… about Sasuke checking him out. He went with that thought, imagined the warm desire in Sasuke’s eyes as he stole a look at Naruto’s body. He moaned.

What if Sasuke felt this way too… What if he too was overcome with desire thinking of Naruto, maybe even jerking off at this very moment?

Naruto came hard to that thought.

He breathed harshly, the guilt of the fantasy setting in as the afterglow washed away. He waited for a long while before he dared to return to their room.

They had breakfast at the same place where Sasuke had gotten the bowls of broth for Naruto. An old woman ran the small restaurant. She was very generous to the point where they almost had to force her to take their money.

Yuna and Lila stopped by for breakfast too and joined them at their table.

“You boys are very quiet today,” Lila said with a grin. “Did something happen last night?”

“No!” Naruto said at once. “Nothing happened, I’m just tired. Couldn’t sleep.”

He was aware of the puzzled look Sasuke was giving him but pretended not to see it.

“They’re not used to the heat,” Yuna said. “The tourists always struggle to sleep when it’s as hot as it is now.”

“… Tourists?”

“Yeah, they usually come here in early spring, before the heat sets in.”

“They’re from the big cities.” Lila said. “I mean, we’re not their favorite destination so it’s pretty chill. The coast villages get a lot more traffic.”

“Where are these cities?” Sasuke said, interest piqued.

“The capital isn’t that far from here, maybe three or four days' journey by foot. I could get you guys a map if you want.”

“That’d be great!” Naruto said.

He kept talking with Yuna and Lila, but Sasuke got quiet. He left the table after a short while.

“Did we offend him that badly?” Yuna said when Sasuke was out of sight.

“Don’t mind him,” Naruto said. “He’s been grumpy all morning.”

“I guess making him jealous didn’t help at all, then,” Lila said.

Naruto sighed. “No. He just distances himself from me if I flirt with other people.”

“That must mean that he has feelings for you,” Yuna said. “He wouldn’t have cared otherwise.”

Naruto shrugged. “I don’t understand him. He can be super nice and attentive one moment, but then the next moment he acts like he doesn’t care about me at all. I don’t know what to believe.”

“He sounds so mercurial,” Lila said with a laugh. “To me it’s really obvious that he thinks highly of you, so I don’t think you should worry about that.”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know… I guess he respects me, but I’m not sure he thinks that highly of me. I mean, he always reminds me of how stupid I am and he keeps tabs on me like a mother hen.”

Yuna and Lila awed.

“You don’t get why I thought you were coupley, but then you say stuff like that,” Lila said.

“They’re basically a married couple already,” said Yuna. “Just without the sex.”

After they parted ways and Naruto went to find Sasuke, he kept thinking about what the two women had said. They seemed so certain, but then again, they didn’t know Sasuke like Naruto did. They didn’t know about their history either. It wasn’t just as simple as taking the plunge and hoping for the best. The stakes were too high to just go with a gut feeling. No matter how much he wished that they were right.

He tried to see what they had seen, but Sasuke always seemed indifferent around him. Naruto got the feeling that Sasuke could grow tired of him any minute. Sure, they had been traveling together for months now, and though Sasuke often was annoyed with Naruto, he’d never tried to leave him behind. Naruto knew that if he’d had enough, he wouldn’t stick around. 

But when it came time for them to part ways, would Sasuke care at all? Or would he leave Naruto without a second of hesitation?

The thought hurt more than Naruto could bear.

“How is your arm?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked up, startled from his thoughts.

“Oh… It’s much better. We could probably leave soon.”

“I thought we could go to the city that they talked about,” Sasuke said. “I think it might be the Sun City, in which case we’re in the Sun Kingdom now.”

Naruto gaped. “The Sun Kingdom?” He’d only ever heard of it in kids’ tales.

Sasuke smiled one of his unusual, honestly pleased smiles, and Naruto’s heart did a somersault. “We’ve really traveled a long way.”

Naruto smiled too.

They left a few days later.

Naruto said goodbye to Yuna and Lila and thanked them for everything. They left with a shiny new map that was richly detailed. Sasuke was utterly fascinated with it. The map didn’t show anything west of the Eternal Forest, but it depicted a wealth of countries to the north, east and south.

It turned out that they really were in the Sun Kingdom, and the capital, dubbed the Sun City, was only a short distance away. Naruto was excited to see a city again after the never ending quiet and solitude of the land of Silence and the Eternal Forest.

The landscape was open and wide. There were only prickly bushes and scraggly grass as far as they could see in every direction. The sky remained cloudless so during the warmest time of the day it was almost unbearable to continue walking. Fortunately, the road led them to a small village where they could rest. They continued on their way later in the evening, when the heat was starting to diminish, and camped late at night among some boulders.

Sasuke studied the map by the campfire while Naruto yawned and thought about going to bed. They would be sleeping in their tents since there were some poisonous insects around.

Naruto opened his bag to get his toothbrush, but he didn’t notice that the erotica book was sliding out until it landed on the dusty ground right next to Sasuke’s foot. Naruto hurried to fetch it and put it back into the bag.

“Relax,” Sasuke said. “I’ve seen it already.”

Naruto froze. “You have?”

“It’s not a big deal. You don’t have to hide it from me.”

Naruto fiddled with the straps on his bag. “When did you see it?”

“It fell out of your pack once.”

“Oh…”

Sasuke folded up the map. “Do you honestly think it matters to me? It doesn’t change who you are.”

“Ah…” Naruto felt lighter all of a sudden. “I, uh… It always felt safer to keep it a secret. I felt like… At home, it’s not like here. People aren’t so open about it. I thought it wasn’t okay.”

“Fuck Konoha,” Sasuke said with feeling. “Everything’s still backwards there. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to travel farther out. I wanted to find somewhere that had a different way of seeing the world.”

“They’re definitely different here,” Naruto said. “Did you notice that Yuna and Lila were a couple?”

Sasuke looked surprised. “I thought Yuna had a thing for you…”

Naruto shrugged. “It was just teasing.”

He could swear he saw Sasuke relax a little. “I see.”

“But I think Konoha can change,” Naruto said after a pause. “We can make a change.”

Sasuke held his gaze. “I hope so.”


	7. Third Time's a Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but I rewrote large parts of it. It's an important chapter and I wanted it to be as good as possible! I hope you'll enjoy ^^

They had been traveling through a dusty no-mans land for days when they finally saw their destination in the distance one evening. On the horizon, against the backdrop of the skyline, lay a sprawling metropolis. Its impressive buildings stood almost as tall as the clouds and reflected the light from the sunset so that it looked like the whole city was glowing.

So this was the Sun City.

It was unlike any city Sasuke had seen before. Its sheer size and noise level outmatched Konoha by far. The buildings were towering monstrosities made out of glass, steel and concrete, and everything was so sleek and nondescript that after having walked around it for just a few minutes, he was already starting to lose his sense of direction. The people bustled past in a hurry, either by foot or on streetcars that thundered past.

Naruto looked completely amazed. He grabbed Sasuke’s arm and pointed.

“Hey, look over there! A noodle shop!”

It figured that the first thing Naruto looked for was food. Sasuke trailed after Naruto to the shop because he was hungry too. The place was tiny and grubby. Naruto only ate one bowl, which was unusual.

When Sasuke commented on it as they left the restaurant, Naruto grimaced and said, “I could have gotten a better meal from a pack of instant noodles.”

There were signs leading them to hotels and motels everywhere, but the prices were steep and they were low on cash. It had been a long time since they’d earned some money. As the evening turned to night, they finally found a small, grubby motel that they could afford. It was hidden in a back alley behind a nondescript door that led into a narrow, dimly lit hallway where a receptionist sat and dozed.

Their room, which was located on the third floor, accessible by a long, narrow staircase that groaned and squeaked worse for each step, was as run-down and small as the rest of the motel. It could barely fit two narrow beds.

Sasuke and Naruto both stopped in the doorway and gave the room a disheartened once over. It smelled faintly of mold.

Naruto sat down on one of the beds and brought the sheet up to take a closer look at it. He immediately dropped it.

“I think we should use our sleeping bags,” he said.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had no other choice, Sasuke wouldn’t have set foot in that room. He locked the door, which looked ridiculously easy to break in, and checked if the single small window could be opened. It was impossible to open it more than a few inches, but despite the stench of garbage and mixture of other unpleasant smells that wafted in, it was still better than keeping it closed.

“We shouldn’t have to pay so much for such a shitty room,” Naruto said as he rolled out his sleeping bag and lay down on the bed.

“It seems like everything is more expensive here,” Sasuke said. “But hopefully that means the wages are higher too.”

“That’s true.” Naruto yawned and closed his eyes. “Tomorrow we’ll get a job so that we can afford a better place.”

Earning some money shouldn’t be that much of a problem. There was always someone who needed a job done. But they quickly found that in this bustling city, people were very picky about their workforce. Everywhere they went, people asked for documentation of education and former work experience. After a whole day of rejections, they were both feeling more than a little dejected. Even Naruto had run out of optimism.

It was getting dark and the streets were quiet. An empty bag of chips was fluttering along the sidewalk on a gust of wind.

In Sasuke’s opinion, everything in this city looked ugly once you looked away from the towering and impressive architecture. Here in the poorer districts everything was quiet and lifeless. No parks or fountains in sight, just poorly laid asphalt that was full of potholes, and old, grimy buildings that no one cared about anymore.

They had reached the harbor. A stray dog tottered past, looking for scraps of food, and a couple of homeless people had gathered around a fire a little further down the way. On the sidewalk in front of an old building with shuttered windows stood a couple of men and women whom Sasuke guessed were prostitutes.

They noticed the two of them and called out.

“Hey, what’s with the outfits?” one man said and laughed. “Going to the fair?”

The others laughed too.

Naruto just stared at them, wide eyed. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the man that had talked to them. The man wore booty shorts, an oversized t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, and high heeled boots. He was pretty good looking.

Sasuke nudged Naruto to make him snap out of it.

The man blew Naruto a kiss and winked. “Why don’t you come over, cutie?”

Naruto turned abruptly away and sped up.

“Maybe he’s right…” he said to Sasuke once the prostitutes were out of their sight. “We do stand out in these clothes. People here seem to be dressed more casually.”

“Like that hooker?” Sasuke said. “That’s a little too casual for me.”

Naruto snorted. “Did you just make a joke?”

He punched Sasuke’s shoulder and Sasuke punched him back.

“Okay, but hear me out,” Naruto said. “You don’t have to carry your sword around and wear that cloak to cover it. It’s way too hot for that anyway.”

Sasuke glared at Naruto. He wanted to say something about the way Naruto was dressed, but honestly he kinda blended in.

“You’re too orange,” he said at last.

“And that eye patch makes you look mean,” Naruto added.

“I always look mean.”

“… Yeah, true.”

Sasuke sighed. “I would leave the sword in our room if I trusted that it’d be safe there.”

“You could hide it somewhere.”

They discussed back and forth until they returned to the motel, but Sasuke had to admit that Naruto had a point. They would probably have more of a chance of getting a job if they blended in. The next day he bundled the sword up in his cloak and hid it under a loose floorboard.

But despite it, the day was just as fruitless as the one before. They walked around half the day without any luck. Sasuke mentally counted the money he had left. He had enough to perhaps get him through another two or three days.

“Look!” Naruto said. He had stopped outside a small shop. “These pants cost only ten bucks!”

“It’s probably bad quality.”

“But they’d make us blend in better, and they’re really cool! Look at this!”

Naruto held up a pair of blue pants with orange accents. Sasuke frowned. It was made out of the blue fabric that seemingly everyone in this city wore. Denim, the little note inside the pants said.

Sasuke caught sight of a section of black pants and rifled uninterestedly through them. He had to admit that the fabric seemed durable, but the pants felt light despite it, something that would benefit them in this heat.

Naruto bounded over to him, brandishing a brightly orange pair of pants.

“Look!” he said excitedly. “Look at these! They were basically made for me! I have to try them on.”

Naruto hurried off to the fitting room. Sasuke grabbed a pair of black pants and followed him. By the time he caught up, Naruto had already changed. He opened the curtains dramatically and grinned.

“What do you think?”

Sasuke’s eyes were drawn like magnets to the garish garment that clung to Naruto’s well-shaped ass and muscular thighs. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring. He looked abruptly away.

“They’re okay,” he muttered.

When he dared to lift his gaze, Naruto was grinning teasingly.

“Just _okay_?” he asked innocently.

“They look good on you,” Sasuke snapped, flustered.

He hurried into safety in the fitting room next to Naruto’s and closed the curtain quickly.

He’d been too obvious.

Fuck.

He ran his hand through his hair and glared accusingly at his reflection. He looked tired under the fluorescent lights.

“Have you changed?” Naruto said from outside.

“No,” Sasuke snapped.

“Aww…”

Sasuke could imagine the pout that followed all too well. He sighed.

“I’m changing now,” he grumbled.

He couldn’t believe he was doing this, but he tried on the black pants. They fit surprisingly well, though they were a bit too tight for his liking.

“Are you done?” Naruto said.

“They’re too tight,” Sasuke said.

“Can I see?”

Sasuke didn’t even have time to answer before Naruto opened the curtains.

He wasn’t sure why it felt so intrusive. He wasn’t even undressed. But it felt intimate to stand there in the small room, knowing he had Naruto’s full attention on him.

He watched Naruto’s face in the mirror and caught the way he unabashedly stared at Sasuke’s ass. The look on his face made something hot twist in Sasuke’s stomach.

Naruto blushed when he met Sasuke’s eyes in the mirror.

“They’re fine!” Naruto said quickly. “Not too tight or anything.”

Sasuke blamed it on some inherent weakness that he decided to buy the pants.

Another day passed before things finally started looking up for them. They managed to get a job hauling stuff at a warehouse. It was all a bit under the table, but it suited them fine. The only problem was that they had to work long hours with few breaks, but the pay made up for it. They used most of the first money they earned to move to a better hotel. They still shared a room, but it was bigger and cleaner and didn’t smell like a dumpster.

Sasuke didn’t mind the job even though it was boring and tedious, but Naruto had set his sights on other possibilities. Working in a shop or any place where you had to be nice to customers was out of the question for Sasuke, but he could see how it would be fitting for Naruto. It didn’t take long before Naruto somehow managed to get a job in a pet store.

It was ridiculous how excited he was about it.

When he got his first paycheck, he bounded into their shared room and announced that they were going out celebrating.

“Just look! I earned way more in one week than we did at that warehouse _combined_. And besides,” he added with a bright grin, “it’s my birthday on Saturday.”

Sasuke looked up from his book. He tried to remember what date Saturday was.

“It’s the 10th!” Naruto pouted. “You could at least try to remember since it was literally the date the war ended.”

“I’m bad at dates,” Sasuke said.

The truth was that he’d completely lost count of the days. In addition, the unusually warm climate was throwing him off. It felt more like late summer than autumn.

“Do you wanna go out drinking or not?” Naruto said. “It’s my treat.”

Sasuke scoffed. “You’re not paying on your own birthday.”

“But I’m rich now! And besides, you paid for me on your birthday, so that would make us even.”

Sasuke wasn’t very eager to go out and stand shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of strangers in a locale that most probably had no more than two exits, but Naruto’s good mood was contagious and he didn’t want to let him down.

“Fine,” he said.

\------

Naruto knew exactly where he wanted to take Sasuke on Saturday. Some of the girls he worked with had talked about this place and how awesome it was. It was a relatively new nightclub situated in the most modern and upscale part of the city. Apparently it was wildly popular among people their age.

Sasuke had managed to grow out his hair enough that he could sweep it over his rinnegan. While he still wore his eye patch, it was less conspicuous now. Tonight he had collected the parts of his hair that was long enough into a small bun at the back of his head, letting the rest frame his face and fall against his neck like black silk.

Naruto yearned to touch it.

Sasuke looked amazing tonight. He always did, but now he was only wearing his tight jeans and his white sweater that slightly showed off his collarbones, and it made Naruto ache with longing.

Naruto wondered for the millionth time if Sasuke actually had been checking him out that time in the changing room… He was starting to get more and more convinced that Lila and Yuna had been right. Sometimes he’d catch Sasuke giving him an intense, lingering look that made delicious shivers run down his spine. When Sasuke noticed that he’d been caught he’d look away quickly and Naruto was pretty sure that he’d even seen him blush once.

But this time it was Naruto who was caught staring.

He blinked when Sasuke snapped his fingers in front of his face.

“Are you ready?” Sasuke said, though he sounded more amused than impatient.

Naruto grinned. “Yup! Let’s go!”

Sasuke opened the door and Naruto followed close behind him. When they got to the elevator it was already filled up with people so they had to squeeze in next to each other. They ended up face to face. Naruto smiled to calm Sasuke. He could sense his discomfort in the tenseness of his body and the way his visible eye shifted to always keep stock on everyone around him.

Sasuke met Naruto’s gaze and after a few seconds he seemed to relax a bit. Naruto shifted a little closer. He wished this elevator ride could last forever. He didn’t care about all the people surrounding him or the overpowering mixture of sweat and perfume that assaulted his senses. It wasn’t often he got the chance to get this close to Sasuke, not unless they were fighting.

Unfortunately, the elevator arrived at the ground floor far too soon. They walked through the city in silence, but it was a good silence. Every time Naruto glanced over, Sasuke had a barely visible smile on his lips, like he was thinking about something nice.

The nightclub was bigger than any bar Naruto had ever been in. The assortment of drinks was astounding. He decided that he’d try each and every one of them. Sasuke was apparently hell-bent on being boring because he ordered sake.

“He’ll have the same as me,” Naruto said to the bartender.

“Naruto-“ Sasuke said, but Naruto interrupted him.

“Try something new for once. Do it for me, since it’s my birthday.”

He leveled Sasuke with his most adorable puppy dog eyes and surprisingly it worked. Sasuke huffed but didn’t object. But when their drinks arrived in all their pink glory, he glared at them as though they had personally offended him.

“Don’t hate it until you’ve tasted it, at least,” Naruto said, laughing.

Sasuke took one small sip and grimaced. “It tastes like liquid sugar.”

Naruto sipped his own drink. Sasuke was right. It was great!

“This is so much better than the stuff you made me drink,” he said.

“I didn’t _make_ you drink anything,” Sasuke said and ordered some sake.

“I’ll take yours too, then,” Naruto said and moved Sasuke’s abandoned drink closer to himself.

“Please do.”

Naruto looked around the locale while he sipped on his drink. People were thronging together on the dance floor, a collective writhing and undulating mass. Naruto wanted to be a part of that.

Sasuke touched his arm. “You shouldn’t drink so fast.”

Naruto looked down at his glass. It was nearly empty. He hadn’t realized he’d been drinking so much.

“It’s fine,” he reassured Sasuke, “I’ve got a strong tolerance!”

“There’s more alcohol in those drinks than you’d think.”

“Aw!” Naruto said. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself!”

Sasuke muttered something that Naruto didn’t hear over the music.

“What?” he said loudly and leant so close to Sasuke that he almost nuzzled his hair.

“Nothing,” Sasuke bit out and turned away, but not before Naruto noticed that there was definitely a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Naruto gulped down the rest of his second drink and ordered a new one. He watched the people around them and smiled at the people who smiled at him.

One woman, a short, pretty blonde in a skimpy dress, came over to Naruto.

“Hi,” she said. Then she nodded towards the pink and yellow drink he was holding. “Cute drink.”

Naruto blushed and put the glass down. “I was just… sampling the selection.”

She glanced to the side where Sasuke was sitting. “Is that your friend?” she asked. “My friend and I wanted to dance and we wondered if the two of you wanted to join us?”

Naruto suddenly became aware of a very pretty dark-haired woman standing a little further down the bar. She winked when he looked at her.

“Um…”

He turned around to look at Sasuke and was met with a partly defiant and partly vulnerable expression.

“No, we… uh…” Naruto turned back to the woman. “We don’t dance. Sorry.”

The woman shrugged and went back to her friend.

For a moment, he and Sasuke sat in silence.

“So…” Sasuke said at last, spinning his glass of sake between his fingers, “I thought you’d jump at the chance to flirt with a woman. Why the change of heart?”

“I thought this could be our night,” Naruto said and grinned. “Just the two of us.”

Some of the tension bled out of Sasuke. The small smile was back.

They ordered more drinks and as they steadily got more and more drunk, they got bolder as well. Naruto was certain that Sasuke had leaned closer to him, and in response he leaned closer too. Or maybe he had leaned closer first and then Sasuke had followed? He wasn’t sure, but either way they ended up sitting so close that their shoulders brushed.

They talked about things that Naruto didn’t remember a minute later. Or, it was mostly Naruto who talked. Sasuke was quiet but Naruto could tell that he was listening. He had that satisfied look on his face that told Naruto that he was having a good time. His expression didn’t change even when Naruto continually slapped him on the back or squeezed his shoulder.

The club got louder and more thronged so eventually they moved to a slightly quieter place just down the street. It was a bar with paneled walls and lamps that gave off a warm, soft light.

The bar too was full of people, but there was a quieter atmosphere. Now they could actually hear each other without shouting. They managed to find a small table in the back of the locale. Naruto had sobered up a little so he hurried to order more drinks before he started second-guessing everything again.

When he approached their table with their drinks and saw Sasuke sitting there at the small table for two, his cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol, looking at ease and even offering Naruto a smile when he approached him, Naruto felt a strange flutter in his stomach.

He thought about what Lila had said; that they looked like a couple. He wondered if other people thought so too.

“Here’s your sake, old man,” Naruto said as he placed the glass in front of Sasuke. He sat down in the chair opposite of Sasuke and immediately wished he could sit closer to him, like they’d done at the nightclub.

He leant his elbows on the table, getting as close as he possibly could to Sasuke who was leaning on one elbow, his slender fingers sliding over the smooth surface of his glass.

“I think maybe people usually do it the other way around,” Naruto said. “I mean, they probably go to a bar first and to the nightclub, you know, _in_ _the night_.”

“They probably like being squeezed in between as many strangers as possible too,” Sasuke said as he lifted his glass to his lips.

Naruto followed the movement keenly, his eyes lingering on Sasuke’s lips as he sipped his sake.

“Huh?” he muttered belatedly.

“I’m glad we left,” Sasuke said. “It was getting crowded.”

“Yeah…” Naruto cleared his throat and took a sip of his own drink.

Dammit, he had to stop staring at Sasuke.

He felt a nudge against his foot. He expected Sasuke to pull away as soon as he noticed that he’d invaded Naruto’s space, but his foot lingered against Naruto’s.

Naruto tried to meet Sasuke’s gaze, hoping to see some sort of message there, a sign that the foot nudge had been deliberate, but Sasuke’s gaze was firmly fixed on the table.

With his heart thudding in his chest, Naruto nudged Sasuke’s foot back.

Sasuke dipped his head down so that his hair covered more of his face and lifted the glass to his lips again, seemingly unaffected.

But just when Naruto was about to pull back, fearing he’d made a mistake, Sasuke moved his foot again, this time in a way that obviously wasn’t a mistake, the side of his shoe brushing over Naruto’s ankle.

Naruto almost got the liqueur he’d been drinking stuck in his throat.

Holy shit… Was Sasuke actually… flirting with him?

Naruto was so overwhelmed that he froze completely. He must have looked shell-shocked when Sasuke dared to glance over at him, and Sasuke took it as a bad sign. He drew away immediately, looking embarrassed and angry with himself.

Naruto knew the signs by now. He knew what it looked like when Sasuke retreated back behind his carefully built defenses to avoid getting his feelings hurt.

So he did what he could to stop Sasuke from slipping out of his reach again. He reached out, almost knocking over their glasses, and grabbed Sasuke’s arm.

“Don’t… I didn’t mean to…” Naruto didn’t know how to put into words something that so far had just been communicated silently. “I was just shocked.”

Naruto realized how bad his wording had been just a few seconds after the words were out of his mouth.

“I mean, I didn’t mind!” he hurried to add.

“Good for you,” Sasuke bit out. He tried to get out of Naruto’s grip, but Naruto refused to let go of him.

“Wait! You don’t understand what I meant!”

“Then why don’t you speak more clearly?”

“I’m trying to!”

“Then try a little harder!”

“I would if you’d give me the chance to explain!”

“I’m giving you a chance right now!”

They glared at each other. Naruto realized that they were standing, although he couldn’t remember getting up, and their noses were only inches apart. It had suddenly become quiet around them. Everyone else in the locale was staring at them.

“Outside,” Sasuke said and left so quickly that Naruto just stood and stared at an empty space for a second.

Naruto threw some money on the table and followed him.

The streets outside were quiet, luckily, because Sasuke immediately took to the roofs. Naruto followed him, running nimbly up the side of a tall building until he reached the deserted rooftop where Sasuke waited.

Naruto got a flashback to another rooftop fight. It was not a good memory.

“Say it,” Sasuke said.

Naruto frowned. “Say what?”

“Tell me what you meant,” Sasuke said impatiently. “I want you to say it directly to my face!”

“What do y-“

He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Sasuke attacked. Naruto sidestepped quickly. They were both more than a little drunk, but Sasuke was still impressively fast. He twisted around and pushed Naruto hard. Naruto stumbled but managed to right himself. Sasuke pushed him again.

“What the fuck, Sasuke,” Naruto grumbled. “What are you playing at?”

He knocked Sasuke’s hand away when he tried to push him again, but as he took a step backwards he found himself crowded up against an air conditioning unit. Sasuke stepped right up to him, his hand fisted in Naruto’s t-shirt.

For a few seconds they just stood there breathing hard, only inches from each other’s faces. A deep blush spread on Naruto’s face. He couldn’t help but notice how subtly erotic this was. Had it always been like this? Had their fights always been a way to get closer to each other?

Sasuke was so close to him that Naruto felt his breath on his lips. He closed his eyes, so overwhelmed with emotions that he almost choked on it.

But Sasuke wasn’t similarly affected. He used the chance while Naruto was distracted and pulled him harshly forward, kicked his legs away from underneath him and slammed him down on the floor so hard that Naruto lost his breath for a moment. Sasuke straddled Naruto, his hand still fisted in Naruto’s shirt while holding him down.

Naruto looked dazedly up at him. Were they even fighting anymore?

“Still not talking?” Sasuke growled.

He wasn’t trying very hard to hold Naruto down. It wasn’t the fight he wanted first and foremost. He seemed to almost beg Naruto for something as he searched his eyes intently. 

Naruto couldn’t allow Sasuke to keep the upper hand. He used the moment of hesitation to grab the back of Sasuke’s neck and pull him sideways, quickly swapping their positions. Sasuke tried to fight him off, so in order to hold him down, Naruto had to force himself in between Sasuke’s legs and put his full weight on top of him.

It wasn’t until a moment later that he realized how suggestive their position was.

But Sasuke wasn’t about to let him win. He kept twisting and shoving, but once Naruto managed to pin his hand down, his struggles were useless. They were both panting hard when Sasuke finally stopped struggling.

“I won again,” Naruto said, though he didn’t feel as proud of it as he usually would.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about who came out on top.

“Then get off me,” Sasuke said.

“No.”

Sasuke looked surprised at first but his expression quickly changed to annoyance. He started struggling again and Naruto had to really fight to keep him down, but eventually Sasuke gave up.

“What was it you wanted me to say?” Naruto said.

Sasuke’s chest was heaving underneath him. His body was warm and firm. His sweater had been pulled down to uncover a shoulder.

“If you can’t figure it out on your own,” Sasuke bit out, “then what’s the point?”

“Did you… do you…?”

He met Sasuke’s visible eye. It was as dark and unfathomable as the black sky above them.

“Get off me, Naruto,” Sasuke said.

Naruto didn’t know what else to do. There was only one way to express what he felt without saying it.

He kissed Sasuke.

He wasn’t prepared for how warm and soft Sasuke’s lips were, nor for the way they stayed unresponsive against his.

He drew away almost immediately and stared with almost as much shock as Sasuke did.

“Was that what you wanted?” Naruto asked dumbly.

Sasuke blinked.

“What _I_ wanted?” he said incredulously. “ _You_ kissed _me_!”

“Yeah, but… I... I thought…!”

Before Naruto could start panicking for real, Sasuke grabbed the back of his neck.

“If you can’t say it,” Sasuke hissed, “then just shut up.”

Then he pulled Naruto down into a bruising kiss. It was awkward and sloppy and not even good because Sasuke was too angry to care about being gentle.

It was the best kiss Naruto had ever had.

“I like you,” Naruto gasped between kisses, overwhelmed by the fact that Sasuke had responded, that he actually... maybe... felt the same way... “I like you so much, Sasuke.”

Sasuke just kissed him harder. Naruto didn’t even care that their teeth clacked and that their noses smashed together. All he cared about was Sasuke’s hand on his neck and his eager, wet lips.

Naruto involuntarily ground down against Sasuke and felt Sasuke's legs tighten around his thighs, forcing him down harder.

Naruto moaned against Sasuke’s lips.

“You’re an idiot,” Sasuke hissed, his voice catching on a gasp.

Naruto groaned. “I know, but you’re an idiot too.”

“Not as big an idiot as you.”

“Then you’re the second biggest idiot.”

Their eyes met and they laughed.

“Are we seriously grinding on a rooftop?” Sasuke said.

Naruto chuckled. “We’re too fucking drunk for this shit…”

They untangled from each other and sat up.

“I like you too,” Sasuke said, his words almost a whisper, a soft blush on his cheeks.

Naruto grinned so brightly that his cheeks ached.

“I figured,” he said, “what with the kissing and all. Unless that’s just your new method to kill people.”

Sasuke gave Naruto a playful shove. “If it was, you’d be dead already.”

Naruto couldn’t stop smiling.

He’d kissed Sasuke! Sasuke had said that he liked him!

Was this a dream? It almost felt like one. He felt light and mushy and so, so unbelievably happy.

They kissed again, softly and timidly. This time it was gentler and it felt even better than before. Naruto drew in a sharp breath and pressed his forehead against Sasuke’s.

Sasuke moved closer, putting his hand around Naruto’s neck. He moved in to kiss Naruto again, his breath hot on Naruto’s lips. Naruto whimpered softly into the kiss. He wished he wasn’t as buzzed as he was. He wished he could have had his first proper kiss with Sasuke while he was sober.

He wished that they didn’t have to get completely drunk to be able to confess to each other.

He felt drunk not only on alcohol, but also on Sasuke’s closeness, the heat from his skin, the softness of his lips. He couldn’t think clearly. His head was clouded with lust and happiness and disbelief.

He pushed Sasuke a little away just so that he could clear his head.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he muttered.

“Me neither,” Sasuke said.

He ran his hand up Naruto’s cheek and into his hair. Then he kissed him again and Naruto happily gave in to it. He put both hands around Sasuke’s waist, his heart soaring in his chest as he pulled him closer.

Sasuke felt more slender in Naruto’s arms than he had expected. He was very firm and muscular, unlike the few girls Naruto had held and kissed before. Naruto didn’t mind, though. He liked it. But he had thought Sasuke would be heavier and that it would feel less natural to hold him. That was not the case.

He had a slightly slimmer build than Naruto, and despite his normally standoffish behavior, he felt soft and eager.

Their kisses became soft and gentle like the irregular flutter of a moth's wing. Sasuke’s hand was in Naruto’s hair, gently caressing his scalp. After a while they just sat there, their foreheads touching, breathing in the scent of the night air and each other, eyes closed.

\------

Sasuke woke up the next morning with a mouth as dry as sandpaper and dull ache in the back of his head. He was still wearing the clothes from yesterday. The sweater stuck to his sweaty back. He felt gross and warm and… crowded.

For some reason, Naruto was sleeping right next to him. In his arms.

For a long moment, Sasuke just stared at the blond head tucked under his chin. He tried desperately to remember. Some fractured memories emerged of him and Naruto drinking in various bars, of him and Naruto talking and laughing and actually having a really good time… and then…

It came back to him now. The whole fight on the rooftop, the confession, the kisses. And then… then what?

He panicked for a moment as he took stock of himself. It didn’t feel like he’d taken it further last night. His clothes were all on and he didn’t feel sticky or anything…

He tried to carefully extract himself from Naruto without waking him. Naruto whined at the loss of contact but he stayed asleep.

Sasuke took a shower and attempted to clear his head. He started remembering more now. They’d kissed some more when they got back to their room and then they must have fallen asleep in each other’s arms.

As he played back last night's events in his head, he kept wondering if it had all been a dream… There was something dreamlike about the memories, but even though it was difficult to take it in, he knew that it was real enough. Then a different worry took form. What if Naruto didn't remember it, or that he regretted it when he woke up? He wasn’t sure how drunk Naruto had been last night and how much of what he’d said or done actually translated to his sober self.

Sasuke used an unnecessary amount of time fixing his hair and making sure he looked good before he left the bathroom. By the time he returned to their room, Naruto was awake as well.

He looked tousled and confused where he sat on Sasuke’s futon, his hair looking like a bird’s nest and one side of his face red from having been pressed against something as he slept.

The first thing he did when he saw Sasuke was to blurt out, “What happened last night?”

Sasuke’s heart sank. So he didn’t remember.

“We got drunk,” he said.

“But why did I sleep on your futon?”

He looked genuinely appalled.

“I don’t know,” Sasuke said testily.

Naruto scratched his head. “Did I… Did you…?”

“I had my clothes on,” Sasuke said. “You have your clothes on. So no.”

Naruto visibly relaxed. “Oh, thank god.”

Sasuke felt a heaviness settle in his chest. This was exactly what he’d feared. Naruto didn’t remember anything, but even if he had, he would obviously have regretted it. It was just something that had happened because he was under the influence of alcohol and didn’t know what he was doing. Sasuke should have known. It had been too good to be true.

He needed some time alone. He was just about to turn around and leave when Naruto said something that made him freeze on the spot.

“I would have hated to forget about our first time,” he said and laughed. Then he noticed Sasuke’s frozen expression, and his laughter stilled. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought…” Sasuke said hoarsely. “I thought you had forgotten.”

Naruto ruffled his already messy hair even further. “No way. I couldn’t forget about that.” He blushed and smiled shyly. “It was pretty amazing.”

Sasuke felt so overrun with feelings all of a sudden that he didn’t know what to do. So he did nothing. He just stared at Naruto while the things he felt for him made it seem like his chest was about to explode.

He’d never expected his feelings for Naruto to be returned. It was something he’d accepted a long time ago. Naruto’s rejection would have been easier to deal with. Then at least he’d know what to do. But this? This was something he was completely unprepared to handle. 

His hand shook so he wrapped it tightly around himself, pressing his fingers tight into his side.

“Are you okay?” Naruto asked. He stood and groaned as he stretched out the kinks in his body. “Wow, I must have slept so awkwardly.”

He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. The movement pulled up his t-shirt, revealing his lower stomach and the happy trail disappearing into his boxers. His pants were riding low on his hips, but Naruto didn’t seem to notice.

Sasuke struggled to tear his gaze away from that sight.

“You look kinda unwell,” Naruto commented when he was done stretching. “I think there’s some painkillers left, if you need-“

“Just shut up,” Sasuke bit out. This was the worst moment Naruto could have chosen to be oblivious. “You’re so stupid sometimes.”

“Uhh… I just tried to help…”

Sasuke grabbed his shoes. “I’m going out. I need some air.”

Naruto called out his name as he left, but he didn’t follow after him.

Sasuke wasn’t sure what he’d expected. He knew that they needed to talk. He knew that it was childish to run away. But he couldn’t deal with all these feelings while he was sober. It was too much, too overwhelming.

He wandered around without knowing where he was headed until he ended up in a large park area. It became very quiet around him once he followed the path into the heart of the park. There was a small copse of trees centered around a small hill and on the top of the hill stood an old maple tree.

For the first time since they arrived in the city Sasuke felt peaceful. He hadn’t even noticed how tense he’d been. He had missed the scent of warm leaves and dewy grass. It was still mingled with the scents from the city, but at least it was better than nothing.

Suddenly he ached to be on the move again, to walk through quiet forests, not seeing anyone else for days. No one except Naruto.

He wanted Naruto by his side more than ever. He hoped he hadn’t screwed up everything by running away. What if Naruto thought he’d gotten cold feet?

Fuck…

He should probably go back, but now it would be even more difficult than before to start that conversation. He hated that kind of conversation… Talking about feelings… It was not his strong suit.

He sat down with his back against the trunk of the maple tree. He just needed some time to collect himself, then he’d go back to Naruto. He sat there for a long while, forgetting about everything else, the distant sounds of the city fading out. But he caught every smallest movement around him, so his attention was immediately piqued by a soft, almost imperceptible sound of footfall nearby…

The footsteps came closer, and then Sasuke felt a scent of artificial oranges on the gentle breeze. He let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding, his tense shoulders relaxing. 

Naruto’s stupid orange shampoo had an unmistakable scent. Just seconds later he came out of the forest and walked slowly up the hill towards Sasuke.

He sat down next to Sasuke without a word. For a long while they just sat there in silence, neither wanting to start the conversation.

“You have to stop calling me stupid all the time,” Naruto said at last with a small, half-hearted laugh. “It doesn’t exactly make it easier to understand you.”

“You know I don’t mean it,” Sasuke muttered.

“Do I?”

Sasuke glanced at Naruto from the side. “I say it when I wish you could understand me… without me having to tell you.”

“You know, no matter how hard I actually do try to do that I don’t stand a chance because your mind is like a fucking maze.”

Sasuke huffed and elbowed Naruto in the side. “Are you sure it isn’t you who’re lacking some social antennas?”

Naruto yelped and rubbed the sore spot on his ribs. “Maybe you’re right about that, but I hate to break it to you; out of the two of us, you’re the most socially awkward one. So what does that say about you, huh?”

Naruto’s stupid grinning face was way too close to Sasuke’s so he pressed his palm against it and pushed him away.

“Hey!” Naruto grumbled.

“You were breathing on me,” Sasuke said.

Naruto grinned cheekily. “I thought you liked it when I did that. You didn’t mind yesterday…”

Sasuke felt a flush spread over his skin at the reminder.

“You did like it, right?” Naruto asked nervously.

“… Yeah,” Sasuke admitted.

He didn’t have to turn his head to see the sunshine grin on Naruto’s face. He could swear he felt his skin get warmer from the radiation of all that happiness.

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, his voice soft and warm and happy. “Do you want to do it again?”

When Sasuke glanced at Naruto, he saw the cute blush that spread over his cheeks.

He stayed still when Naruto leaned in closer. When his warm breath fanned over his cheek, he turned slightly towards him. His heart beat eagerly in his chest. He almost felt a little dizzy when Naruto’s breath landed on his lips.

He swallowed thickly. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so nervous about something. All his drunken bravado from yesterday was gone. Now only the fluttery, hopeful feelings remained. 

When their lips met, it was so gentle that Sasuke wondered if a butterfly had landed on them. He let out a shivery breath. Naruto moved his lips against Sasuke’s, so carefully, as though he was afraid to do it wrong or come on too strong. Sasuke just let him do the work for now. He was afraid that he’d ruin the moment if he moved. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do. He wanted everything immediately, but at the same time he wanted to savor it.

Naruto shifted to get into a better position and their kiss broke off.

Sasuke used the chance to take a deep, discreet breath. His mind felt woozy, like it was filled with cotton. He blamed it on the hangover.

“Was that okay?” Naruto said shyly.

It dawned on Sasuke that this was as difficult for Naruto as it was for him.

He nodded. Then he put his hand on Naruto’s neck, quickly, before he could start second guessing, and pulled him gently closer. This time he met him halfway.

Sasuke enjoyed how unexpectedly soft and plump Naruto's lips were. Their kisses were shy and unhurried, but Sasuke found that he liked it this way. He wanted to take it slow, wanted to enjoy every tiny little touch so that he could file it away and remember it forever.

Eventually they stopped kissing and just held each other.

The small forest was quiet with the exception of some sporadic birdsong.

Sasuke held Naruto as tight as he could. He was hit by a wave of disbelief now and then. The fear of waking up and finding that this was all a dream was still present in the back of his mind. 

“How long have you known that you felt this way?” Sasuke said against Naruto’s shoulder.

“Eh…” Naruto laughed a little. “I’m not entirely sure... I don’t know when my feelings changed, or if I always felt this way for you without realizing. But I think the moment I became aware of it for the first time was after you’d been gone for years and we met again at Orochimaru’s hideout. That’s the moment I realized that maybe this wasn’t just platonic. But it took me a while longer to admit that to myself.”

Naruto rested his chin on top of Sasuke’s head. “What about you?”

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. “I’ve felt this way for a long time…”

“How long?”

Sasuke sighed. This was embarrassing, but he felt like he owed it to Naruto. “Since the beginning,” he said.

“Hm… Since the beginning of the journey?”

Sasuke snorted. “No. Since team 7. Since before I left.”

He felt Naruto go rigid. He was silent for a long while.

When he spoke he sounded choked. “You… You felt this way even before you left?”

Sasuke felt tired all of a sudden. “I thought that pain would make me stronger. And the worst pain I could imagine was breaking my bond with you. I thought that… feelings would weaken me."

Naruto nuzzled Sasuke’s hair. “And you’re supposed to be smart…”

“Shut it,” Sasuke muttered.

They lapsed into silence. Sasuke shifted so that he was leaning against Naruto’s side, his head resting on his shoulder. He enjoyed the sunlight on his face.

“Wait…” Naruto said. It was apparent that he was turning something over in his head. “Does this mean that after we fought… when you asked what I meant when I called you my friend… Did you try to ask me if I felt something more for you?!”

Sasuke scoffed. “Idiot.”

“If I had been honest back then, would you have said yes?”

“… I’m not sure,” Sasuke said. “I didn’t know what the future would bring after the fight and the war and everything. I needed some time to myself to figure things out. When I left Konoha and traveled for a few years, I felt like I could finally start putting my past behind me.”

“I noticed that you were different when you returned,” Naruto said. He lazily played with Sasuke’s hair. “You seemed more relaxed and calm.”

Sasuke closed his eyes and just enjoyed Naruto’s soft caresses. It felt incredible that they had ended up where they were now. He wouldn’t have believed it a year ago.

Naruto’s lips caressed his forehead gently and Sasuke smiled.

So this was what pure happiness felt like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! No, I'm kidding. I wanted to use the remaining chapters to explore their relationship together, so buckle up for some fluff and smut!


	8. Hot Springs

Naruto couldn’t wait to be done with the job for the day so that he could hurry back to Sasuke. The two young women he worked together with noticed that something was different about him.

“You’ve been smiling to yourself all day,” June said. Then she smiled knowingly. “Did something good happen?”   


Naruto blushed. He was bursting to tell someone about what had happened, but he had only known these girls for a short while. They were sweet, but it wasn’t the same as telling Sakura or any of his other friends. Then he remembered that Sasuke was sort of a sensitive subject among his friends and that put a small damper on his mood. 

“I kinda recently got a…” He hesitated. Should he tell them he had a boyfriend or serve a lie and say it was a girlfriend? In Konoha he might have chosen the latter, at least before this journey, but he had changed since then.

“A boyfriend,” he finished, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

June and the other girl, Tara, both came with excited exclamations. 

“Omg! Congrats!”

“When did you meet him?”

“I’ve known him for a while,” Naruto said. 

“Is he cute?” Tara said and winked.

“He’s more hot than cute, actually,” Naruto said, blushing bright red.

The girls laughed at his shy but pleased smile. 

June told him that he could leave early when they were closing up together a few hours later. 

“Go see your beau,” she said. “I can tell you’re eager to leave.”

Naruto ran most of the way back to the hotel, forgetting about buying dinner, which he usually did when he took the late shift at the store. He practically ran up the stairs and stopped outside the door to their room only long enough to flatten his hair and catch his breath so it didn’t look like he’d actually ran the whole way.

He didn’t have to worry about appearance, though, because Sasuke was asleep. He had been lying on the floor, reading a book, and had nodded off with his head on his arm, one finger marking the page he was on.

Naruto knelt next to him, amused that he didn’t wake up. He was sleeping deeply. Naruto gently wedged the book loose from Sasuke’s hand and marked the page with a bookmark before putting it aside. He brushed Sasuke’s fringe out of his eyes, and as he did, Sasuke woke up, blinking in confusion for a moment.

“Did I fall asleep?” He muttered, his voice gruff.

“Yeah. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Sasuke sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Did you eat?”

“No. Wanna go out for dinner?”

Sasuke nodded.

Their eyes met and they both leaned in, hesitantly, for a kiss. It lingered this time, and Sasuke took the lead, gently but surely. Naruto felt tingly all over. The feeling surged through him and bubbled up in his chest. He broke the kiss to giggle, and for a moment he wondered if he had spent too much time with June and Tara.

Sasuke had a small smile on his lips too and though it didn’t look like he was about to make fun of him, Naruto took no chances. He kissed Sasuke again, harder this time, and put one arm around Sasuke’s waist to bring him closer. A small, barely audible gasp left Sasuke as he was pulled close to Naruto, but he relaxed into the embrace. He felt soft and willing under Naruto’s hands, against his body.

Naruto wasn’t sure how much time had passed when they eventually broke apart, foreheads resting against each other, but he was short of breath and his lips were kiss-swollen.

“Food?” Sasuke said after a while, and Naruto nodded, mostly because food was vital and not because he wanted to extract himself from Sasuke anytime soon.

They held hands down the hallway and in the elevator, but in the reception Sasuke pulled away.

“No one cares,” Naruto said.

“I don’t like PDA,” Sasuke said.

“We’re just holding hands,” Naruto muttered, but he laid it to rest for now.

After they had eaten, they wandered along the streets, discussing what to do next.

“We could go to the movies!” Naruto said.

Sasuke looked skeptical. “And sit inside a dark room with limited exits together with a bunch of strangers for over an hour?”

“We could make out in the back row,” Naruto said with a grin. “I’ve wanted to go ever since I first heard about it. It sounds like fun.”

He could see on Sasuke’s face that he was about to give in, so he threw in a couple of puppy dog eyes and watched with satisfaction as Sasuke’s resolve crumbled completely. If he’d known it was that easy to charm Sasuke he’d used that method a long time ago.

They watched a movie about ninja’s, which was fascinating since these people evidently had never met a real ninja or been in a real war. But it was all the better. Sasuke was nervous enough about being inside a dark, enclosed space with the loud noises from the surround system coming at unexpected angles if he didn’t have to worry about the sounds of people on the movie engaging in bloody, gritty battles on top of it. He had his sharingan activated for the first ten minutes of the movie until Naruto pointed it out. But even then he activated it again, seemingly without noticing, several times. Thankfully the movie turned out to be more of a romance than a war movie so after a while Naruto managed to distract him with kisses.

They had managed to get a seat at the back. The movie must have run for a while because not even half the seats were taken, but that suited them nicely. They kissed languidly, gently exploring each other. Naruto put a hand on Sasuke’s knee and Sasuke copied the gesture, his palm warm against Naruto’s thigh. Suddenly the room felt ten times hotter. Naruto breathed heavily against Sasuke’s lips. Sasuke had slowly been taking over, and to Naruto’s brief annoyance he was good at kissing. Naruto had hoped that he’d teach Sasuke something for once. But it didn’t matter. It was too good to be annoyed about it.

Naruto moved his hand to Sasuke’s hip. He shivered when Sasuke moved his hand too, fingertips lightly brushing over Naruto’s waist before pulling him closer. Unfortunately, the armrest kept them divided from each other, but at that point they were both too consumed by what they were doing to even be bothered by it.

The kisses had changed in nature, their lips parting and their tongues touching. Naruto’s heart did a somersault and went into overdrive.

He pulled away and laughed hoarsely. “Wow… That…”

“Too much?” Sasuke said.

“No, it’s just… I mean… I’ve never kissed with tongue before.”

He guessed he might have done it with Sasuke a few nights ago when they got so drunk, but he couldn’t really remember… 

Sasuke looked surprised. “Really?”

A hot flush crept up Naruto’s neck. “It’s not like I didn’t have the chance, I just… never got that far.”

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as though saying  _ sure _ .

Naruto huffed. “I’ve kissed plenty of girls.”

He realized he’d said the wrong thing when Sasuke’s expression changed from relaxed and teasing to closed off. He turned towards the movie screen.

Apparently, girls were a touchy subject.

“Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a little. I’ve kissed like, maybe two or three girls.”

Sasuke still stared unresponsively straight ahead. 

Naruto didn’t know what to say. He racked his brain for something. Usually he knew what to say to make people listen to him, but right now he wasn’t even sure what the problem was. It was kinda unfair of Sasuke to be angry that Naruto had a history when he obviously had just as much if not more history himself.

Suddenly Sasuke got up and slid past Naruto.

“Where are you going?” Naruto hissed.

He swore under his breath as Sasuke walked towards the exit. He hurried after him and caught up with him in the entrance hall outside the kiosk.

“Are you seriously gonna be mad at me for kissing someone else before you?” he said.

Sasuke stopped.

“I’m not mad at you for kissing someone,” he bit out.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Sasuke’s shoulders stiffened. “Nothing,” he muttered and exited out the double doors.

Naruto sighed. They had been together for barely a few days and already they were having a fight.

He followed Sasuke at a distance over to the nearby park. He knew that if Sasuke had wanted to be alone, he wouldn’t have made it so easy for Naruto to follow him. He waited until Sasuke sat down on the grass near a pond before he finally approached him and sat down next to him.

For a long moment they didn’t say anything. Naruto watched the moon reflected in the smooth surface of the dark water.

“Have you ever been attracted to any other guys?” Sasuke suddenly asked.

Naruto was puzzled by the question. “Um… No. I guess not.”

“So it’s always been girls… except for me.”

“I just kissed those girls because they’re the ones who came after me. Now that I think about it… I probably enjoyed making that reverse harem no jutsu a bit too much for a straight guy.”

“But you’ve always had crushes on girls.”

“Only Sakura, actually. And to be honest, I think I just over-exaggerated that crush on her to one-up you.”

“ _ What _ ?”

Naruto shrugged and grinned. “It’s funny, right? I kept pestering her with my love confessions, but the one I thought about was always you.”

They were quiet again for a while. Then Sasuke placed his hand on the ground between them, and Naruto did the same, inching closer until their fingers were intertwined.

“Are you worried that I’m actually just into girls?” Naruto said.

Sasuke just made a non-committal sound.

“Don’t worry about that,” Naruto said. “I know that what I feel for you, I’ve never felt for anyone else. So just trust me, okay?”

Sasuke turned his hand palm up and clutched Naruto’s hand.

\------

As the days passed in a sort of unreal bliss, Sasuke wondered when it was going to end. Because something had to happen that would ruin everything. He couldn’t be allowed to feel like this, it was too good to be true. But nothing happened. Instead, each new day seemed better than the next.

For some incomprehensible reason, this frightened Sasuke more than anything else. For each day that passed, the stakes were higher.

But every time he felt the need to sabotage himself somehow, to prove to himself how easily it could all break apart and fall to pieces, he remembered Naruto’s words and he chose to trust him. He knew that for Naruto’s sake, he couldn’t fuck this up. If Naruto wanted this, then Sasuke wasn’t going to be the one to take it from him. The fact that it made Sasuke happy too was just a bonus.

Some days were better than others. Some days he forgot for a moment who he was when he woke up in the morning and instead he just basked in the wellbeing he felt lying close to Naruto, feeling his calm breath against the back of his neck.

Naruto had begun inching closer and closer every night until Sasuke woke up every morning with him pressed up against his back. He was surprised to find that he didn’t mind. During the night he had moved further and further away from Naruto, probably because Naruto was a restless sleeper, but Naruto unconsciously followed him until they ended up in this position, Sasuke at the very edge of his futon, Naruto sprawled carelessly over the rest of it.

Some mornings Sasuke turned around and tried to sleep a little longer, nuzzling Naruto’s hair. Other mornings, like today, he got up early and got breakfast for the both of them before he went to work.

The job was shitty, didn’t pay well, and his boss was an asshole. He could have just quit the job and left the city, but he stayed because Naruto seemed to like it there. Nothing else made him stay. Aside from the job, the city itself left something to be desired. It was filled with busy people that seemed to be headed nowhere, never looking around them or seeing each other. 

Now that Sasuke finally had reached this mysterious place that he had only heard of in stories before, his journey was over. He found that he longed back to the places and the culture he knew. 

He was, surprisingly, feeling homesick.

It was not what he’d expected. He even missed Konoha a little bit. It was the place he’d grown up and the place where generations of Uchiha’s had belonged after all. Even with all its flaws, it was still the closest thing he had to a home.

Sasuke had expected Naruto to be the one to get homesick first, but Naruto seemed to be thriving. He had adapted to the clothes style and the way of life with surprising ease. He even seemed to enjoy the peaceful line of work he’d chosen, although Sasuke suspected that he’d become restless and tired of the job after a while. He was a shinobi at heart after all.

  
  


When he returned to the hotel in the evening, Naruto was already back and had brought them both food. They talked about their day while they ate. Or, it was mostly Naruto who talked. Sasuke was content with listening. Naruto could make even the smallest, most insignificant episode seem like something interesting because he spoke so enthusiastically about it. Today they had received a batch of kittens and Naruto described all five of the kittens in such detail that Sasuke felt like he had seen them himself.

“I wanted to bring one home,” Naruto said, “but I guess the hotel personnel wouldn’t be very happy about that.”

“Aside from that, how would we bring it with us when we travel back home?”

“I dunno… I could carry it in my bag, or it could sit on my shoulder.”

Sasuke had to admit that it sounded nice, but he wondered if Naruto realized the significance of getting a pet together.

“I guess it’s not such a good idea. I’m sure the kittens will get a good home either way,” Naruto said. “A lot of people have shown interest in them already.”

They were quiet as they finished off the last of the food. Naruto stretched with a satisfied sigh and flopped backwards onto his futon.

“I wanna do something special this weekend,” he said.

Sasuke collected the empty food boxes and put them in the trash. “Like what?”

“There’s an onsen where we can stay for a few days. I didn’t even know they had onsens here. It’ll be like home.”

Sasuke considered this. Maybe Naruto was more homesick than he let on. A stay at an onsen did sound nice. He could use some change of scenery because he was getting tired of only seeing the warehouse or the four walls of their hotel room.

“It’ll probably be pricey,” he said, because knowing this city, it might cost them their savings.

Naruto propped his head up on his hand and grinned. “But I’m rich now, remember?”

Granted, Naruto probably had more money right now than he’d had at any given time in his life, but that didn’t mean he was rich.

Sasuke sighed. “Okay, why not.”

Naruto thrust his fist up in the air. “Yay!”

Naruto was gaping and staring openly at the open, spacious entrance hall with the shiny white walls and gold accents.

“This place is fancy.”

There was a fountain in the middle of the room and a huge mirror behind the heavy rosewood reception desk. A receptionist in a sharp dress suit greeted them with a bright white smile.

The place wasn’t as expensive as it looked at first glance. Their room was small but cozy. Their futons were placed right next to each other because there was barely room for them. Being in this place together was different from being in their usual hotel room. It was almost a bit… romantic.

Sasuke had never done anything romantic with anyone before. Something like that had always been as far from his mind as possible, but now he felt a pleasant excitement about being here with Naruto. He wasn’t sure if Naruto thought along the same lines. He mostly seemed eager about the hot spring.

They left their few belongings inside their room and went down to the onsen.

There were parting walls between the shower stalls, which Sasuke was grateful for. He had dreaded being so close to a naked Naruto in a public area. They didn’t have a habit of getting naked in each other’s presence, and Sasuke knew from the time when they bathed in the river together with Yuna and Lila that even semi-nakedness was not something he handled well. 

But once they slid into the hot spring, Sasuke finally relaxed. They were immersed up to their necks in cloudy white water and it was quiet all around them because everyone was either silent or talked in low voices.

This was exactly what Sasuke had needed. It really did remind him of home, and once again he felt a stab of homesickness. Not necessarily for Konoha, but for the shinobi nations and the culture that he knew. It was fascinating and inspiring to have traveled as far as they had, but he missed the customs that he’d grown up with.

Naruto poked his shoulder. “I’m gonna get out. You coming?”

“I’ll relax for a few more minutes.”

He closed his eyes again as Naruto got out of the water. He was actually ready to get out too but he wanted to wait until Naruto had gotten dressed, so he waited for about five minutes before he got out. Naruto was waiting for him outside in the entry area.

“I’m starving,” he complained. “I think they’re making ramen somewhere. Can you smell it?”

Sasuke tried but he couldn’t pick up anything but a sweet odor of flowers and incense.

Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him along out into the garden and down a winding pathway. Between the trees he could see some twinkling lights that turned out to belong to a restaurant. Now he could feel the miso smell too.

“See?” Naruto said. “My special ramen senses are never mistaken.”

Sasuke wondered if Naruto had a heightened sense of smell or if he just was so tuned in on ramen that he could sense its presence at long distances. Both were plausible explanations.

Naruto didn’t let go of Sasuke’s hand as they entered the restaurant so Sasuke carefully pulled his hand out of his grip.

The restaurant had a cozy, warm atmosphere and the food was, according to Naruto, almost as good as Ichiraku’s.

They talked long into the night, the sake loosening their tongues until Sasuke found himself talking more freely than he normally did. Naruto listened intently. Despite his tendency to blabber on, he was a good listener. It occurred to Sasuke that Naruto perhaps talked a lot because Sasuke usually talked very little, so he felt obliged to fill in the silence.

They left the restaurant late in the evening, when the fairy lights had been lit in the trees and the bushes, and lanterns were lighting up the paths. Naruto took Sasuke’s hand. This time Sasuke didn’t even think about pulling away. He wanted to be closer to Naruto. He followed him off the path and down to a pond. All he could think about was how Naruto’s hair seemed to glow in the soft, warm light from the lanterns overhead, and how his face brightened like the sun when he turned and smiled.

Sasuke didn’t have any conscious recollection of moving. One moment he was staring at Naruto’s handsome face and the next he was kissing him.

Sasuke wasn’t gentle this time. He wanted more and this time Naruto responded eagerly as the kiss deepened. They were both a little inexperienced. Sasuke had avoided kissing the few times he’d hooked up with someone, and Naruto felt unrefined yet eager. It didn’t matter. Desire and wellbeing consumed them both until they hardly knew where they were anymore. It didn’t matter as long as they never stopped touching each other.

Somehow they ended up kneeling on the ground, Sasuke practically climbing into Naruto’s lap. Naruto made a gruff, needy sound and Sasuke responded with a groan. Naruto’s grip on his hips was almost bruising.

Naruto broke off the kiss so that he could rest his forehead against Sasuke’s shoulder and catch his breath. Sasuke placed soft kisses down his jaw and neck, and Naruto sighed in pleasure.

“Wanna go back to our room?” Naruto said.

Sasuke stood and pulled Naruto to his feet. “Yeah. Good idea.”

Naruto ginned. “I’m full of good ideas.”

Sasuke pushed him playfully. “You’re also full of yourself.”

Naruto grinned and leant in. “And so will you be.”

And then he ran off, leaving Sasuke both stunned and turned on.

Sasuke wasn’t prepared for how sensitive he was. A simple touch could feel so unexpectedly good. The brush of Naruto’s lips over his neck, the pads of his fingers fluttering over his waist.

As they arrived back to their room, their feelings cooled slightly and they felt content just languidly exploring each other’s bodies. Sometimes Naruto did weird things, like licking Sasuke’s ear.

When Sasuke asked what he was doing, Naruto said that the characters in the book he had read had liked it.

Other times they accidentally tickled each other, which Sasuke found was a bit too easy to do with Naruto. He just touched Naruto’s stomach and he recoiled in giggles. This led them off on a tangent as Sasuke tried to find more ticklish spots on Naruto, who twisted and turned to avoid him.

“N-no, not the feeeet!” Naruto howled.

When Sasuke decided that Naruto had suffered enough, he slid on top of him and grinned down at him.

“You’re so beautiful when you smile,” Naruto said. Then he blushed almost as much as Sasuke did. They grinned shyly at each other.

“You too,” Sasuke said. “But I guess you knew that.”

“No one has ever told me I’m beautiful before,” Naruto said and chuckled.

Sasuke felt drowsy. He slid off Naruto so that he was just lying halfway on top of him, resting his head on his chest.

Naruto carded his fingers through Sasuke’s hair. 

Sasuke closed his eyes. He wanted to keep kissing Naruto and touching his surprisingly soft, unmarred skin, but Naruto’s caresses were so soothing. Slowly but surely Sasuke drifted off to sleep.

\------

Naruto drew circles on Sasuke’s skin with his fingers. He made it a game to paint an imaginary pattern between all of Sasuke’s scars.

The sun had risen but Sasuke was still asleep. He was lying on one of Naruto’s arms and Naruto didn’t have the heart to wake him up yet. He slept so peacefully.

Sasuke still wore pants, but no shirt. It had been peeled off at some point last night.

Naruto gently slid a finger across Sasuke’s bottom lip, feeling the softness against his fingertip.

Was it really possible to feel this kind of happiness? The feeling was overwhelming, almost too much to be kept inside his body. He felt like jumping up and doing cartwheels or something equally silly. He wanted to run and shout and hug random people.

But he couldn’t do any of that as long as Sasuke was lying on his arm. It was okay, though. He sometimes wondered if all this was real when Sasuke wasn’t right next to him, but now, watching him sleep peacefully so close to him, he knew without a doubt, as long as he kept his eyes open, that this was real.

Eventually Naruto had to get up to go to the toilet, waking Sasuke in the process. Then they went and took a morning dip in the onsen before eating breakfast. After breakfast they explored the forest area surrounding the hotel. The hotel was situated on top of a hill with a perfect view of the city below and the wild, untouched nature that stretched from the huge lake east of the city to the misty mountains in the north. Somewhere far in the distance across the water they saw something that looked like an enormously tall tower glinting in the midday sun.

“It’s the Moon City,” Sasuke said.

“How do you know these things?” Naruto said.

“I’ve looked at this thing called a map, but I remember it from kids stories too. Have you never heard of the Moon Kingdom in stories?”

“Yeah, but I thought they were just fairytales.”

“The Sun Kingdom and the Moon Kingdom have a long and bloody history, but they’ve been at peace for several decades now. At least that’s what the plaque on the monument in the city said.”

“So the stories are true? About the legendary samurai from the Iron Tower and the beautiful Moon Princess and everything?”

Sasuke shrugged. “I guess it’s based on reality.”

Naruto mulled over that. “So… Do you think there was some truth to what that old guy in the Land of Silence said? About the land being cursed? Because in the stories the Sun King cursed a land in the west into eternal silence for warring against them. And wasn’t there something about an impenetrable forest too?”

“Yes…” Sasuke said. He stared thoughtfully out towards the horizon. “Yes, it was exactly like that.”

Naruto put his arms around Sasuke’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. He’d been thinking about touching him since this morning, but they were always in public or busy.

“It has to be ages ago, though,” Naruto said. “So long ago that no one actually remembers if it’s true anymore.”

He nuzzled Sasuke’s neck. Sasuke still seemed lost in thought. 

“Maybe we should return to the hotel?” Naruto said. “We could go back to our room for a bit before going to the onsen.”

Sasuke gave him a knowing look. “For a bit?”

Naruto grinned innocently. “Yeah, you know, for a bit of downtime. Just relaxing.”

“Because sitting around in hot water is so strenuous.”

Naruto kissed the back of Sasuke’s neck and, because he felt bold, pushed his semi-erection against Sasuke’s ass. Sasuke instinctively pushed back.

“What got you going?” He said in a deep, teasing tone. “The moon tower?”

“I’ve been half-hard all day,” Naruto said with a pout. “The weather is hot and  _ you’re _ hot and…” He nuzzled Sasuke’s neck.

Sasuke grabbed his hand. “Come on, then.”

They wasted no time hurrying back. The moment they closed the door to their room, they were kissing, hands desperately running over necks and shoulders and chests. Things were getting heated fast, and it was clear it was going in only one direction. Naruto wanted that so badly, it was all he’d ever dreamed of, but at the same time he was a little afraid that he’d mess up or make a fool of himself. 

He ran his hands up Sasuke’s waist, bunching up his t-shirt, pressing kisses to his throat. Sasuke arched his neck. He was already breathing heavily. When Naruto snuck his hands further up under Sasuke’s shirt, he made an appreciative sound, muttering some half-formed word that Naruto took as a go ahead. He ran his hands up Sasuke’s ribs, his thumbs passing just shy of Sasuke’s nipples, and Sasuke pushed into the touch, wanting more.

Naruto tore Sasuke’s shirt off and took a step back.

Last night they’d been a bit too drunk to really appreciate each other. Now he took the time to really look. A soft blush spread across Sasuke’s skin. He lowered his eyes, clearly a little shy about the intense attention.

Then he took a step closer, grabbed the hem of Naruto’s orange t-shirt, and pulled it slowly up, first revealing his happy trail, then his abs and finally his pecs. He stopped at that point, which confused Naruto a little until he saw the look on his face. Eyelids half-lowered over dark, hungry eyes. Naruto felt his dick grow completely hard.

Their eyes met and then it was like they moved like one. Naruto pulled off his shirt and started unbuttoning his pants with shaky hands. At the same time, Sasuke shimmied out of his own jeans, and then they were standing naked in front of each other.

Naruto felt dizzy from the rush of blood that left his head and went south. Sasuke was hard too. The sight of his cock did things to Naruto. He wanted to touch it, taste it… It was unexpectedly pretty. He’d never seen another man’s erection before so he didn’t have much to compare with. Sasuke’s was a nice pink color, flushed redder at the tip, and his pubes were neatly trimmed, something that Naruto wondered how he’d had time to do. Had he done it, like, this morning or was he always this neat?

When he met Sasuke’s gaze again, he had a slightly smug smirk on his face. Naruto’s obvious approval hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“You have a nice cock,” Naruto blurted out. He wasn’t sure what made him say it, but he immediately regretted it.

Sasuke gave a small, surprised laugh. “You’re not so bad looking yourself,” he said, his tone velvety.

Naruto felt a shiver of desire go through him and his cock throbbed. He moved closer to Sasuke, ascertaining with a certain pride that his cock was bigger than Sasuke’s.

Sasuke must have seen the obvious self-satisfaction on Naruto’s face, because he scowled.

“Don’t look so smug,” he said. “It isn’t that much difference.”

“Mine’s thicker,” Naruto said. “I’ve always thought… Sai kept teasing me about my dick.”

“Has Sai  _ seen _ it?”

“No!”

“So obviously he didn’t know what he was talking about.”

Sasuke reached down and encircled Naruto’s cock with his thumb and index finger, tugging lightly. Naruto gasped and thrust into his hand.

Sasuke watched Naruto’s face intently as he slowly jerked him off, occasionally straying towards his chest and his cock, but always zeroing back in on his face again. Naruto felt like he was laid bare but in a good way. There was obvious appreciation in Sasuke’s gaze.

He took in Sasuke’s body too, and reached down to hesitantly grab his cock.

Sasuke’s breath hitched. Naruto closed his hand around Sasuke and started jerking him off to the same rhythm as Sasuke did to him.

“Not so tight,” Sasuke bit out, and Naruto eased up on his grip.

“You can be rougher,” he told Sasuke.

His eyelids fluttered shut for a second as Sasuke did as he said.

“Oh fuck…”

Sasuke gathered up precum in his hand to make it slicker. He found the right technique quickly and Naruto felt his orgasm approaching fast. He fondled his own balls with his free hand, the other still occupied with Sasuke’s cock.

He closed his eyes and muttered, “I’m close.”

Sasuke doubled his efforts. It took only a few seconds before Naruto came with a shivery gasp. When he opened his eyes a moment later, it was to the sight of his own cum dripping down Sasuke’s stomach.

He felt a bit unsteady.

Sasuke grabbed his hand and led him to their futons. “Come here… Sit down…”

Naruto did and Sasuke kneeled next to him.

Naruto noticed that Sasuke was still hard and he wanted to do something about it. He reached out and pulled Sasuke closer, forcing Sasuke to arrange his legs so that they could sit more comfortably.

He grabbed Sasuke’s cock again and Sasuke hissed at the contact. Naruto eased up his grip and tried to find a technique that suited Sasuke. But as soon as Sasuke started getting into it, he tensed up.

“It’s okay,” Sasuke said tightly. “You don’t have to.”

“Are you kidding?” Naruto said incredulously. “I want to return the favor.”

“I-I’ll get sore,” Sasuke said despite the fact that Naruto could see that he enjoyed it. Naruto spat into his hand and continued jerking him off, carefully swiping his palm over the head of his cock to collect precum.

Sasuke pressed his hand to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. He tensed and groaned between his teeth. Naruto moved his hand faster, knowing that Sasuke was close.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Sasuke groaned huskily, the sound almost making Naruto hard again.

Sasuke was breathing unsteadily. A soft, desperate sound left him as he came all over Naruto’s hand and thigh.

His face was flushed red behind his hand and he was trying to catch his breath.

“Are you okay?” Naruto said. It started to dawn on him that maybe he had pushed Sasuke to do something he wasn’t ready for.

Sasuke shook his head. “Moron,” he said with a small chuckle, and then he put his arm around Naruto’s neck and kissed him.

Naruto closed his eyes and pulled Sasuke into his lap.


	9. Clueless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay sooo this chapter is basically just smut <3

All Naruto could think about during the evening was going back to their room so he could see Sasuke naked again and touch him and hear the soft, breathy sounds he made when he was close to coming.

He had thought that letting out some steam before they went to the onsen was a good thing, but it turned out to be the opposite. Now that he had gotten a taste of how good being intimate with Sasuke could be, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Sasuke was sitting next to him in the hot water, his head leaned against the edge of the bath, and his towel covering his eyes. Most of his body was covered by the water, but that didn’t matter to Naruto. Every time he looked at Sasuke he saw him naked, flushed cock erect, lips slightly parted, cheekbones dusted with pink, and dark eyes like infinite wells of velvety desire.

Naruto only managed to stay in the bath for five minutes before he told Sasuke he was getting out and left in a hurry. He washed off with cold water and dressed quickly. Then he went outside into the cool afternoon air and tried to collect himself. He walked slowly through the garden until his body stopped feeling like it was on fire before he returned to the entrance area where Sasuke waited for him.

“What got into you?” Sasuke said.

Naruto reached out, about to take Sasuke’s hand, but changed his mind just in time and touched Sasuke’s back briefly instead. He stood as close to him as he possibly could.

“Do you wanna go back to our room for a bit?”

There was a teasing glint in Sasuke’s eyes. “You don’t even want to eat first?”

Naruto’s stomach grumbled and he pouted.

Sasuke squeezed Naruto’s elbow. “I think your body is speaking for itself.”

“If only you knew,” Naruto muttered, thinking about the boner he’d been battling for the past half hour.

But he let Sasuke tug him along and was very pleased when, once outside, Sasuke took his hand and held it.

They went to the same restaurant as last night, but this time the both of them were more relaxed. Naruto caressed Sasuke’s leg with his foot under the table. Sasuke moved his leg closer so that they could stay in contact. 

When they ordered, Naruto stopped Sasuke from ordering alcohol.

“Maybe we should stay sober tonight?” he said, his heart beating in his throat.

Sasuke hesitated but ordered something non-alcoholic instead.

During the meal Naruto found that he watched Sasuke so much that he almost forgot to eat. He watched his lashes fan over his cheeks when he bent his head, the small half-smirk he did when he said something teasing, the way his eyes somehow darkened when he looked at Naruto, the tip of his tongue darting out to wet his lower lip.

“What’re you thinking about?” Naruto said when he caught him with that look.

Sasuke blinked. “Nothing.”

Naruto just smirked and rubbed his foot up Sasuke’s calf.

They didn’t stay in the restaurant for as long as they did yesterday. The moment they had finished eating they paid the bill and went back to the hotel. Sasuke led Naruto by the hand the entire way, even through the entrance area and down the hall to their room. Naruto’s body was buzzing as though he’d had a few drinks already. He closed the door behind them and when he turned Sasuke stood waiting for him in the middle of the room. He walked over with more patience than he was aware he had. Sasuke had that small, knowing smirk on his face that Naruto now recognized as his seductive smile.

Naruto smiled when he reached him and grabbed the lapels of his yukata. Then he kissed him, not hard or eagerly, but slowly with closed lips. Sasuke sighed and angled his head, deepening the kiss without rushing it.

They slowly undressed each other without breaking the kiss for more than a few seconds. But as palms and fingertips caressed skin, the kiss grew more urgent. It didn’t take long before they were desperately making out.

Naruto loved kissing Sasuke, but he wanted to kiss other parts of his body too. He kissed along his neck, his hands roaming down his back to his ass.

“ _Fuck_ , Naruto,” Sasuke gasped.

Naruto squeezed his ass harder, pushing him close against his own body. He could feel Sasuke’s erection through his boxer briefs. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband and slid the garment slowly down Sasuke’s legs.

Sasuke made a desperate sound in the back of his throat.

Naruto looked down between their bodies at Sasuke’s erection jutting eagerly out. Sasuke was breathing harshly against Naruto’s ear. Naruto placed his hands on Sasuke’s ass again, one finger slipping friskily in between Sasuke’s cheeks. Sasuke rolled his hips minutely, seeking more.

It felt like someone had led electricity right through Naruto’s body. His cock throbbed as he rubbed his finger against Sasuke’s asshole. The reaction was immediate. Sasuke basically pushed his ass into Naruto’s hand so that the very tip of Naruto’s finger slid in.

Naruto’s knowledge about anal sex was limited to the flowery language in the erotica book he’d read, but he knew that to go further they needed lube, which they didn’t have. He had expected Sasuke to stop him any time now, but to his surprise he didn’t. Naruto pulled out again and just circled his asshole with his finger.

Sasuke kissed Naruto’s neck and reached down to jerk himself off, his breath coming in shaky puffs. Then he pulled down Naruto’s pants enough to free his cock too and gave it a few strokes.

Naruto nuzzled the side of Sasuke’s face. He realized that Sauske was neglecting himself in favor of Naruto and reached down to wrap one hand around Sasuke’s cock. Sasuke pulled back so that he could kiss Naruto sloppily, at the same time bringing their lower bodies together. Naruto squeezed his ass and teased his hole with one hand and jerked him off, perhaps a bit too roughly, with the other.

He heard Sasuke’s breath hitch as he broke the kiss. He pushed up against Naruto’s chest, his ass jutting out to meet his fingers, while Naruto jerked him off faster, his hand slick with precum. He forgot to think about his own pleasure. Sasuke’s breath against his neck and the strong line of his body pushing against him was everything his world consisted of in that moment. He would have come as Sasuke came, lips pressed to Naruto’s throat, parting around teeth that dug lightly into his skin, if Sasuke hadn’t forgotten to keep jerking him off.

As Sasuke slumped against him, bringing his arm up to lope around Naruto’s neck, Naruto was still rock hard, his cock poking against Sasuke’s stomach. Sasuke rolled his hips languidly, trapping Naruto’s cock between their bodies. Amazingly, a few rolls were all it took for Naruto to come, muffling a guttural groan against Sasuke’s neck.

  
  


They lay next to each other on their futons, but they didn’t fall asleep. The moon shone in through the open window so they could see each other as clearly as in daylight.

Naruto ran the pads of his fingers along Sasuke’s collarbone, slowly, dipping his thumb into the hollow of his throat. It was a vulnerable spot, but Sasuke was completely relaxed.

He held Naruto’s gaze, never wavering or looking away. Naruto lifted his hand and slid the pad of his index finger down Sasuke’s nose to his lips. He parted them carefully with his thumb, his nail hitting Sasuke’s teeth.

Sasuke opened his mouth just enough to nibble on Naruto’s thumb.

Naruto removed his hand and kissed Sasuke. His hand slid down Sasuke’s waist instead, across his hip and down to his ass. He hauled him closer. They looked at each other again, this time so close that their noses were nearly brushing.

Sasuke’s eyes were as unfathomable as ever, but there was gentleness in them. Naruto had no idea what he was thinking, but he didn’t mind. He just liked looking into Sasuke’s eyes without the fear of somehow betraying his own emotions.

Eventually, he fell asleep, though he couldn’t have said when. It was a deep, dreamless sleep.

\------

They went back to the city the next day. This time they took in at a cheaper hotel since their savings had been dramatically affected by their weekend spree. Sasuke had to agree with Naruto, though; it had been worth it.

Now that they were back to the usual every-day routine, Sasuke realized how much he missed being free and on the move. He missed being able to choose a new kind of job every day and to feel that he was actually helping someone instead of just performing his duty for the sake of some nameless, faceless corporate owners. 

The days were bearable only because in the evenings he got to spend time with Naruto, and during the night he got to hold him and be held by him. Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream and couldn’t remember where he was. When he felt Naruto’s warm, familiar chakra near him he felt confused and overwhelmed. He held Naruto closer to ensure that he was really there. It could take a long time before he dared to sleep again, afraid that _this_ was the actual dream and that the dream was reality.

Sasuke moaned. They were supposed to get ready for work but one thing had led to another and now they were partially undressed and jerking each other off. They had perfected the act during the past week seeing as the moment they were alone together they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Naruto had one finger slicked with precum almost entirely buried inside of Sasuke’s ass. He had figured out surprisingly quickly what felt good for Sasuke, probably thanks to that book he’d been reading, and Sasuke was struggling to hide exactly how much he liked it.

He always came thinking about Naruto’s cock pushing into him instead of his finger, but he couldn’t make himself explain to Naruto that that’s what he wanted. Putting it into words was difficult… Besides, they would need lube, which they didn’t have, and Sasuke wasn’t looking forward to buying it. But at some point they would have to do it, and Sasuke had an inkling of where to go...

On his way to work, Sasuke walked past a sex shop. It was subtly hidden off at ground level with a concrete stairway leading down to the door. At this time of the day, there were few people out in the streets. It was the perfect moment to drop by. Sasuke hesitated. He was already late for work, a few more minutes wouldn’t change anything.

He went down the stairs and pushed open the door. A bell chimed inside the store. There was no one around, not even a store attendant.

Sasuke stopped for a moment to just stare. There were all sorts of extraordinary and kinky items on display on the shelves.

“Can I help you?” a woman said.

Sasuke turned around to look at the bespectacled woman who suddenly had appeared next to him.

“… Yes. Lube,” he said. He hadn’t meant to sound so brusque, but she had taken him unawares.

She just nodded and led him to a couple of shelves filled with all sorts of bottles.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” she said.

Sasuke froze. He suddenly wished he’d made Naruto go instead. If Naruto was uncomfortable in a situation he just talked more, which tended to help him out in most cases. But Sasuke was the opposite. His mind became completely blank.

The words “Never mind,” was on the tip of his tongue and he was about to leave when the woman said, “Look, I’ll give you some options.”

She then proceeded to pick out a few brands and explained what they were best suited for. She was very professional and talked about things so easily. Sasuke felt like he could trust her.

When he left the shop, he felt much more at ease than when he’d entered it.

When he arrived at work he got a reprimand from the boss for being late. That was the extent of what he could tolerate from that place. When the boss said that it was the final warning, Sasuke said that it didn’t matter because he was quitting. Then he left and didn’t look back. It was the best thing he’d done since they arrived in the Sun City.

  
  


The time until Naruto got off work seemed infinitely long. Now that Sasuke had nothing to do, he almost started longing to go back to the job. At least then he’d had something to pass the days with. There was basically nothing else of interest to do. He couldn’t train because there were people everywhere and he didn’t think they’d appreciate meeting someone wielding a sword in the park. He considered climbing onto the roof where it was less likely that someone would see him, but that too would create a stir if he was seen. He ended up slumping on the futon, trying to read, but he wasn’t in the mood for that.

His attention strayed towards the bag with the lube and the condoms. He had just crammed them into his bag, not entirely sure what to do with them at the moment, or how to introduce them to Naruto. He was pretty sure that Naruto would be thrilled, but there was still a part of him that felt unwilling to take that step. He wanted it… But at the same time he felt a sense of shame for wanting it.

Was he really going to succumb to that useless feeling?

He stood and took the lube out of the bag. He could always prep… It wasn’t something he often did to himself and it had been a long while since the last time. Maybe he should try to get used to it again...

He washed his hands and put on a light robe. Then he lay down on his futon and copied what Naruto used to do to him, only this time with lube. It immediately felt really good. Soon he was trying to fit more than one finger. They slid in surprisingly easily. He pressed his face into his pillow as he came, three fingers buried deeply inside of himself.

He took a shower, let the warm water wash soothingly over his body. He kept thinking of Naruto… Imagined his delighted face when he realized what Sasuke wanted him to do. Then he thought about the girth of Naruto’s cock and wondered if he was ready. Suddenly, an unbidden memory came forth. About a different time, a different man. He felt slightly queasy thinking about it. He had been willing and it had been pleasurable, but the guy hadn’t been kind or loving like Naruto was, and afterwards he had felt used and dirtied.

It was strange how something that had brought him pleasure could feel so wrong… He tried not to think about that now. It was different with Naruto. He was not like that man or the sporadic trysts he’d had with other men after that.

Naruto felt warm, safe… He didn’t feel used when he was with him. He just felt good.

He was drawn from his thoughts when he heard the door to their room slam open and Naruto’s out of tune whistling.

“Sasuke?” he called.

“I’m in the shower,” Sasuke called back.

Then he remembered that he’d left the lube out in the open. Oh fuck. At least he didn’t have to figure out how to tell him anymore.

As he dried off, he heard Naruto humming some annoying pop-tune that was really popular in the city at the moment.

He didn’t put on anything else but the robe, which he tied loosely around his waist. His whole body buzzed with anticipation. His quick orgasm had done little to quell the desire for long. He wanted Naruto so badly. He wanted him inside of him. As he opened the bathroom door and walked into their room, he tried to act casual. He didn’t want to seem too desperate.

“I brought food!” Naruto said without looking at Sasuke. He was too busy opening his box of take-away ramen. “I didn’t realize you’d be home already so I only brought enough for me, but we can share if you want.”

“How noble of you,” Sasuke said dryly.

It seemed Naruto hadn’t even noticed the lube yet. He was too busy thinking about food. Typical. Sasuke picked up the lube and placed it next to his bag, not hiding it, but not leaving it out in the open either.

“What’s that?” Naruto said.

“Nothing,” Sasuke said airily.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“I could go out and get you something…”

Sasuke sighed and sat down cross-legged on his futon. “Just enjoy your food, Naruto. I have other things on my mind anyway.”

“Like what?” Naruto asked with his mouth full of noodles.

Sasuke lay down on his side, supporting his head on one hand. “Just… things.”

He shifted his legs a little so that the robe slid open and bared one of his thighs. Naruto’s eyes immediately went to it, though he kept eating. He was quiet for a moment.

Then he looked up at Sasuke’s face.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“What makes you think so?” Sasuke said, moving his exposed leg, exposing his thigh even more.

Naruto swallowed thickly. He had forgotten to eat.

“Your noodles will grow cold,” Sasuke said silkily.

Naruto looked completely confused for a moment before he remembered the box of food he was holding.

“Oh… I…” he looked at his food and then at Sasuke.

Sasuke had to stop himself from laughing. Naruto looked so adorably bewildered.

“I’m getting some really conflicting signals from you right now,” Naruto said.

“Really?” Sasuke reclined back on his pillow and ran his hand teasingly down along his chest. He untied his robe with slow, measured movements and let it slide open. “Is this clear enough for you?”

Naruto stared with darkened eyes for a moment before he set the food down and crawled over to Sasuke.

“Wait,” Sasuke said, “wash your hands first.”

Naruto shot up and darted into the bathroom.

\------

Naruto’s head felt light. His blood had rushed south so quickly that when he stood, he almost felt dizzy. Dizzy with lust. He forced himself to wash his hands properly, making sure his nails were blunt enough. Sasuke normally didn’t act this way. It felt almost surreal. He was worried that he’d hallucinated it and once he returned to the room, he’d find Sasuke disinterestedly reading or something. But no, Sasuke was lying where he left him, the entirety of his strong, powerful, beautiful body uncovered like an offering.

Naruto kneeled next to him and kissed him hungrily. Sasuke returned the kiss just as eagerly. He put his arm around Naruto’s neck, pulling him into a deep, sloppy kiss. Naruto groaned as his painfully hard cock got pressed against Sasuke’s thigh. He fumbled with his pants. Sasuke sat up and pulled Naruto’s shirt over his head while Naruto wriggled out of his pants and boxers.

They resumed kissing the moment Naruto’s shirt was removed. It was as though they’d suddenly forgotten any finesse they’d learned over the past week. They were desperate just to be close to each other. Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s cock and knew that he’d do the same to him, only… he didn’t.

Instead he broke the kiss.

“Naruto,” he breathed.

“Yeah?”

“…I want something different this time.”

“Okay?”

He waited nervously for the continuation. Was Sasuke dissatisfied with what they’d been doing up until now?

Sasuke hesitated for an unusually long moment, and Naruto’s worry grew.

At last he said, “Can you get that bottle over there?”

Puzzled, Naruto did as he said. He read the label as he brought it over and suddenly his whole world stuttered to a halt. L-lubricant?

He froze. For a long moment he just stared at the bottle. This different thing that Sasuke wanted… Was it…?

He stared wide-eyed at Sasuke, who looked slightly uncertain.

“If you don’t want to-“ Sasuke started saying.

“Are you kidding?” Naruto said. “Of course I want to!”

He kneeled next to Sasuke. “That is… you _do_ mean…?”

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto grinned. Then another possibility hit him.

“Wait…” he narrowed his eyes. “I’m the one who’s gonna, um… be on top… right?”

Sasuke chuckled. “Wait and find out.”

“Sasukeee!”

“Of course it is. Moron. I thought you’d figured after the amount of times you’ve had your finger inside my ass.”

“I just had to make sure!”

He looked from the bottle to Sasuke and then back again.

“Okay, so… How do we do this?”

Sasuke smirked. “Didn’t your book teach you anything?”

Naruto’s face grew hot. “It always happened so naturally. They never had to talk about it because they always knew what to do.”

Sasuke sighed. “Well, first off we should figure out whether to use a condom or not. We should have talked about this earlier, but you said you’d only kissed before, so…”

“I haven’t,” Naruto said quickly. “I mean, I have kissed but not… slept with anyone.”

“Not oral either?”

Naruto wondered how Sasuke could talk about it so easily. He could feel his ears turn red. “No,” he admitted.

He blushed even more when Sasuke kept giving with a scrutinizing look.

“So you really are a virgin,” he said with a small smirk.

“What about you, then?” Naruto retorted. “Like you’re super-experienced.”

He realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have when a shadow passed over Sasuke’s face and his teasing look disappeared.

“Not that it matters if you are!” Naruto hurried to add. “Though I hate that you always have to beat me to everything… and I kinda wish that I was your first.”

Sasuke was quiet for a long moment before he said in a way that made Naruto’s heart clench, “Me too.”

Before Naruto could ask about it or offer any soothing words, Sasuke was all business again. “Then we don’t need a condom.”

“So you’re…?”

“I get regular check-ups,” he said.

Naruto nodded. He wanted to ask how often Sasuke had had sex, or if he’d had any boyfriends before him, but this was not the right moment to do that. Besides, Sasuke seemed to not want to talk about it.

He watched as Sasuke took some lube into his palm and coated his fingers. His eyes drifted to the rest of Sasuke’s body. His cock was rock hard and his nipples were tight little nubs.

Naruto gave his own suffering cock a few strokes.

Sasuke shifted so that he was kneeling. His hand slid down his abdomen to lightly stroke his cock, then caress his balls, and finally slipping further down. Three of his fingers disappeared right into his ass.

Naruto stared. He had barely fitted one finger so far, but that was without proper lube.

“Wanna try?” Sasuke said, his voice velvety.

Naruto let out a tormented breath. He’d used to think that Sasuke would be the death of him, but he hadn’t imagined it would be like this.

He coated his fingers with lube and Sasuke lay down on his back to give him better access. Naruto’s cock throbbed. He had never seen Sasuke like this before. Not this confidently seductive.

There was a deep flush across Sasuke’s cheeks, but he met Naruto’s gaze head on like a challenge.

Naruto watched as his own finger pressed against Sasuke’s asshole. It slid right in when he put pressure on it. He tried two fingers and they slid in just as easily. Sasuke was watching Naruto’s fingers too, his eyelids half-lowered.

Naruto pressed in a third finger and all three of them were sucked into Sasuke’s asshole. He was tight around Naruto’s second knuckles, and so velvety hot inside. Naruto thought about how that tight heat would feel around his cock and had to take a few calming breaths.

Sasuke rocked his hips impatiently. Naruto pulled out and thrust in again, this time as deep as his fingers allowed. He did it again, stroking against Sasuke’s prostate. Sasuke’s breath hitched and got heavier. He tried to rock down against Naruto’s fingers, but Naruto was already pulling out. He pushed in again slowly, earning himself an impatient sound from Sasuke.

“I didn’t know you were so impatient,” Naruto said with a cheeky grin.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed.

Naruto grabbed the base of his own cock. “Eager for this?”

Sasuke tried to look unimpressed, but that was difficult when his eyes zeroed in on Naruto’s cock like it was the sole thing of importance in the whole universe.

Naruto chuckled and scooted closer so that he could press the tip of his cock to Sasuke’s slick, puckered hole. He didn’t try to push in yet but just rubbed the tip against Sasuke’s warm skin. He wasn’t prepared for how good it felt, or how good it would feel for Sasuke who let out a shivery breath. Sasuke angled his hips up higher, his legs at this point spread so wide that Naruto easily could press his whole body against him.

Naruto pushed forward a bit more firmly and felt Sasuke’s hole give slightly. 

“Oh…” he groaned as the head of his cock was squeezed by Sasuke’s entrance. “You’re really tight… is this okay?”

Sasuke nodded.

His face was soft, his lips cutely parted.

Naruto leant in and kissed him. Sasuke looked so adorably overwhelmed. He had trouble controlling his breathing and Naruto realized he was more eager than he let on. He pushed his cock carefully deeper inside, moving barely a sliver for each small thrust. He was unable to take his eyes away from the beautifully overcome expression on Sasuke’s face. He usually didn’t get the chance to see Sasuke’s face because he always found a way to hide it either against Naruto’s neck or behind his own hand. 

“Fuck,” Sasuke breathed.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again he suddenly seemed to become aware of Naruto’s eyes on him.

He put his hand on Naruto’s chest and pushed him away. Naruto pulled out and sat back as Sasuke rolled over onto his stomach.

“Why can’t we face each other?” Naruto said and nuzzled the back of Sasuke’s neck.

“It’s easier this way,” Sasuke said.

Naruto pouted, though unfortunately Sasuke couldn’t see it. “But…”

“Just trust me on this,” Sasuke cut him off.

Naruto was pretty sure Sasuke just didn’t want him to see his face as he came. He was oddly shy about that. But either way, Sasuke knew better than Naruto what would be best for him.

“I guess the view is nice from here too,” Naruto said as he squeezed Sasuke’s ass, letting his fingers slide against the hole. Sasuke jutted his ass out in reaction, pressing his knees down so that he could get more of Naruto’s touch.

Naruto got between his legs and held his butt cheeks apart.

He rested his cock in the cleft and had to take a moment to calm down from the jolt of desire that had exploded through his system at the sight.

There was something about seeing Sasuke’s ass eagerly upturned for him like this that almost was a little too much.

He slickened his cock with more lube and pushed the tip down against Sasuke’s puckered hole. It opened for him immediately, eagerly, so tight around him that he almost saw stars for a moment. Sasuke was right. This position was easier. He slid in with less restraint. Sasuke rolled his hips to accommodate him, showing him when he could push deeper.

Suddenly, Sasuke angled his hips just at the right moment and Naruto slid much deeper than he’d expected.

“Oh…” he gasped.

Sasuke drew in a sharp breath. His hips remained rigidly in place. Naruto got the feeling that it hadn’t been a solely pleasured sound.

He pulled out and pushed carefully in again as far as he could before Sasuke recoiled. It felt so good. The head of his cock was trapped inside of that incredibly tight and soft heat. He rested his forehead against Sasuke’s back as he thrust carefully. He was making desperate little noises in the back of his throat while Sasuke was completely silent.

Sasuke spread his legs wider and angled his ass up even further. Again, Naruto slid in a little deeper without meaning to.

His mouth opened around a choked gasp.

Sasuke shifted underneath him. He adjusted himself so that he was resting on his head and one shoulder, freeing his arm to jerk himself off. He tried to match Naruto’s rhythm, but Naruto didn’t have a rhythm.

“Does it feel good for you?” Naruto breathed.

“Just continue,” Sasuke said.

“But what about you?”

“You’re not hurting me. It’s okay.”

That last word more than anything else made Naruto relax and focus on himself. He thrust gently as far in as Sasuke’s body allowed. He muttered softly under his breath as he struggled to keep his orgasm at bay, but it didn’t take long, even with the slow pace he was keeping, before he came with a trembling moan.

He pulled out and watched as his come dribbled out of Sasuke and then as he came in another spurt over Sasuke’s ass. He was breathing heavily, the orgasm leaving him slightly dizzy. Sasuke twisted around enough to grab the back of Naruto’s head and guide him into a kiss. Naruto slid to the side and slumped on the mattress.

“Wow,” was all he could say. He grinned and chuckled. “Wow, I…”

Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair. As he shifted so that he could rest on his side, Naruto noticed that he was still hard.

“I thought it would be good for you,” Naruto said.

“I just need some time to get used to you,” Sasuke said. “It’s been a while since the last time.”

He must have noticed something in Naruto’s eyes because he added, “I haven’t done it that many times…”

“You don’t have to tell me this,” Naruto said. “Unless you want to, of course. But I don’t want you to feel like you owe me an explanation.”

“I can see that you’re curious.”

“I won’t die from curiosity.”

Sasuke smiled ever so slightly. “If you say so… But I wanted you to know that I don’t really know what I’m doing either. I don’t know exactly how to make it good...”

“Then we’ll figure it out,” Naruto said. “I normally have a lot of stamina. Once I get more used to this I’ll be the best lay you’ve ever had.”

Sasuke snorted. “Is that a promise?”

“You bet it is!”

He scooted closer and hooked one of Sasuke’s legs over his hip.

“I still have my fingers, though. So if you wanna…?”

Sasuke grabbed the lube and poured some over Naruto’s offered hand.

“Just one finger,” he said. “I’m a bit sore.”

“You said it was okay when I-“

“Don’t worry. It’s a nice kind of soreness.”

Naruto used only his index finger. Sasuke pressed his face against Naruto’s throat as the finger moved expertly inside of him, pushing with the perfect amount of pressure against just the right spot, until he came with a muffled curse and a gasp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mentioned adding a map before since I made one to keep track of where they are and how far they have traveled, but I haven't done it yet because it was a bit spoilery. I thought I could add it to the next chapter though, just to give you a better idea of where they have been all along ^^


	10. Snow

Sasuke wasn’t sure how to tell Naruto that he’d quit his job. Thankfully Naruto didn’t ask about it the next morning. He probably assumed that Sasuke was starting later in the day.

Sasuke wandered aimlessly around the city for the rest of that morning. He ended up in the deepest, most quiet part of the park, hidden from view among the trees. The ground was soft and dewy and the wind rustled the leaves in a melancholic symphony.

He forgot time and space for a moment until he heard the city hall bell in the distance. It was two o’clock and Naruto would be done at work soon. Sasuke went to meet him outside the shop as he finished for the day.

Naruto immediately started going on about the cute little puppy they had gotten in that day and how he wished he could bring it with him. Sasuke led them through the park but Naruto didn’t even seem to notice, he was so preoccupied with talking.

There were a lot of other people out walking at this time of day. Sasuke saw a few couples walking hand in hand, some sharing an ice cream cone even though it had gotten a bit chillier in the air. He took a double take when he saw two men walking hand in hand, and then shortly after he saw two women who were feeding the pigeons share a sweet kiss.

Naruto was right. Things were different here than in Konoha. Sasuke couldn’t ever recall seeing a same-sex couple kissing. He felt emboldened and after a moment of hesitation he grabbed Naruto’s hand.

Naruto immediately stopped talking. He gave Sasuke a curious look that Sasuke avoided.

“Do you want an ice cream?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto’s eyes widened. He grinned. “Sasuke… Are you trying to be romantic?”

Sasuke blushed. “Do you want one or not?”

“Of course I want one!”

Sasuke led them over to an ice cream booth. “What flavors do you like?”

Naruto squinted at the ice cream labels. “Oh, they have miso flavor!”

“Naruto… No…”

But Naruto was already giving him the puppy dog eyes.

Sasuke sighed. He ordered one cone with two flavors, miso and green tea. Naruto would probably eat most of it anyway.

“Try it,” Naruto said eagerly. “I swear it’s good.”

Sasuke took one lick of the miso. “It’s not bad,” he admitted. It had a salty taste and wasn’t too sweet. The green tea flavor on the other hand was much too sweet. He ended up fighting Naruto for the miso flavored one.

Predictably, it was Naruto who ended up finishing off the whole thing.

They walked hand in hand into the more quiet part of the park, over to their favorite spot by the old maple tree that stood in solemn beauty on the crest of a hill. 

Sasuke looked at Naruto as they walked in silence and found that he was looking back. He smiled and Sasuke smiled too. He realized with a flutter in his chest that he was genuinely happy in that moment. It was unusual for him to feel like that so often. He grabbed Naruto’s hand tighter and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Naruto blushed and grinned so wide his eyes closed.

They sat down under the maple tree.

Sasuke leant against its sturdy bark and closed his eyes. He enjoyed just listening to the wind whispering in the trees. Naruto leaned his head against Sasuke’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure how long they sat there in comfortable silence, but it was the most peaceful he’d felt in a long time.

It was getting late when they finally returned to the hotel room after a lengthy dinner. They stumbled inside, entangled in a heated kiss. Sasuke couldn’t wait to get his clothes off. He had already opened his jacket and slid it off, and as the door closed behind them he yanked his shirt over his head. Naruto captured Sasuke’s lips in an open mouthed kiss as soon as his head emerged from his shirt. He was trying to unbutton his pants with one hand while he unbuttoned Sasuke’s with the other. Sasuke yanked Naruto’s shirt off too and flung it into a corner. Then he pulled Naruto with him towards the futon and down onto it. Without breaking the kiss even once they managed to rid themselves of the rest of their clothing. As Naruto hovered over him, the kiss became deeper and more languid. Naruto was running one hand down Sasuke’s side, over his stomach, caressing his waist, dipping lower to his thigh and then sliding up again, avoiding Sasuke’s cock.

Sasuke squirmed. The frenzied kissing had been hot, but this was tantalizing on a whole other level. He ran his hand through Naruto’s thick hair and down his neck. Then he moved it down to Naruto’s chest, cupping a pec and teasing the nipple between his fingertips.

Naruto made a deep, gruff sound that sent tingles through Sasuke’s body.

It was Naruto who finally broke the kiss, but only to move onto Sasuke’s neck, licking and sucking his way across the sensitive skin while his hand got bolder and slipped in between Sasuke’s legs. As he teased Sasuke’s hole with one finger, Sasuke jerked himself off in anticipation.

Naruto leant over to get the lube that they’d conveniently left close to the bed.

He slid one lubed finger into Sasuke and gently started massaging the spot that he’d come to know so well. 

Once Sasuke felt ready he attempted to turn over, but Naruto stopped him.

“Can we do it like this?”

Dizzy with lust, Sasuke let Naruto push him back down on the futon. He didn’t really care what way they did it anymore, as long as Naruto was inside of him. He let out a shuddery sigh as he felt the tip of Naruto’s cock against his asshole, and then he was pushing inside, slowly and carefully.

Their eyes met and for a moment Sasuke forgot to breathe. Naruto looked so vulnerable, his eyes wide, his lips parted. Sasuke felt him sink in deeper, felt himself stretch around him. He was distantly aware that he was moaning softly, but so was Naruto. Their breathing was so loud in Sasuke’s ears, along with the frantic beating of his heart. Naruto sank into him slowly but much more easily than yesterday. The way he filled him was amazing. He had never felt like this during sex before. It was almost too much.

He closed his eyes and whispered for Naruto to stop, which he immediately did. Their chests touched each time they inhaled and Sasuke thought he felt Naruto’s heartbeat through his skin.

“Does it hurt?” Naruto said, the gravelly tone of his voice doing things to Sasuke’s oversensitive body.

Sasuke shook his head.

Naruto kissed him once before nuzzling his cheek.

“Move slowly,” Sasuke said. He didn’t know what else to say. He wanted Naruto as close to him as possible, but at the same time it scared him. Desire won out.

Naruto drew in a ragged breath as he started moving again. He moved slowly and carefully until suddenly Sasuke felt his balls touch his ass, and he realized that he was all the way inside of him. The knowledge sent a scorching jolt of desire through him.

Naruto lifted himself up and looked down between them.

“Fuck,” he said shakily. He thrust experimentally. “Does this feel okay?”

“Yes,” Sasuke said gruffly. “It’s good.”

Naruto met his eyes. There was a wild desire in them that made his pupils look like wide, black holes. Sasuke tried to catch his breath. He lifted himself up on his elbow so that he could see too. Naruto put one hand underneath Sasuke’s left knee and pushed it closer towards Sasuke’s chest, bringing his ass up at a sharper angle.

“Fuck, Sasuke,” Naruto groaned. He closed his eyes tight as he pushed in all the way again. “I don’t think I can… ah... keep this up for long.”

“You can move faster,” Sasuke said. He desperately wanted more. Naruto’s cock was rubbing against his prostate with each careful slide, but it wasn’t enough.

Naruto groaned again. A small chuckle erupted from him. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Just move, Naruto,” Sasuke said, almost pleading.

Naruto pulled out a little further and pushed back in again. Sasuke’s eyes fluttered shut. That was it… Just like that.

Naruto shifted above him, putting his weight on both hands. He started rolling his hips.

“Oh fuck,” Sasuke bit out, taken by surprise.

“That good?” Naruto did it again.

“Ah…” Sasuke dropped his head back against the pillow. Naruto lowered himself to his elbows and Sasuke put his arm around his neck, holding him close.

As they started moving together in a careful, uneven rhythm, it was obvious that Naruto tried hard to hold back his orgasm. It was a losing game. Sasuke could see it in the way his gaze became unfocused, his jaw slackened, his breathing hitched and came quicker.

At last his movements stuttered and he thrust hard into Sasuke one last time before he stilled. Sasuke gasped, his heels digging into Naruto’s thighs.

Naruto let out a deep groan.

Sasuke could swear he felt him come inside of him. Naruto tried to pull out but Sasuke was reluctant to let him, so Naruto stayed in him for a while longer until he softened enough to slip out.

“I swear, next time I’ll make you come too, “ he muttered.

“Promises, promises,” Sasuke said.

Naruto grinned shyly, his cheeks still tinged with color.

He reached down and jerked Sasuke off until he arched his back and came with a quiet gasp. He was aware that Naruto watched his face the entire time, but surprisingly he sort of liked it.

As Sasuke started calming down, he realized that he was going to feel sore tomorrow. They had been a bit too eager, but in the heat of the moment he hadn’t felt anything but pleasure.

“Hey… Sasuke?” Sasuke swatted away the finger poking at his cheek. “Sasuke? Aren’t you going to work?”

Sasuke blinked. Work?

Naruto was hovering above him. “I thought maybe you overslept.”

Sasuke grumbled and pulled his pillow over his head. “I quit,” he muttered into the fabric.

Complete silence followed his words.

“You… When?” Naruto said.

“… Two days ago.”

The pillow was tugged out of his grasp.

“When were you planning to tell me?” Naruto said, his voice suddenly very loud without the pillow as a buffer.

Sasuke sighed. “I meant to tell you sooner, but…”

But.

Naruto didn’t look impressed. “I don’t care where or when you work, but it would have been nice to know that I’m the sole provider right now.”

It dawned on Sasuke that things were getting bad if Naruto was being the most responsible one.

“I meant to talk to you about something,” Sasuke said. “It’s November soon and I thought… maybe it’s about time we started heading back to Konoha?”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “ _You_ want to head home?”

Sasuke sat up and winced as he forgot about his sore ass.

“Are you okay?” Naruto said.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Sasuke shifted to a better position. “We should leave early enough so we’re sure you get home on time.”

“Yeah, but we’ve got plenty of time still.”

“It’s only gonna get colder from now on. I thought we could go farther north when we travel back, but then we have to leave before it starts snowing.”

Naruto frowned. “What’s up with that? Why are you suddenly so eager to go home?”

Sasuke shrugged irritably. “Because of the reasons I just explained to you.”

“You don’t care one bit if I get back to Konoha on time or not. And Kakashi wouldn’t send out a search party for me if I’m a few weeks late.”

“I don’t like it here,” Sasuke snapped. “Okay?”

Naruto raised his hands. “Okay, okay! Couldn’t you just say that then?”

Sasuke huffed. He wanted to let Naruto enjoy his time here, but now that the truth was out there was no point in holding back anymore.

“I don’t like all the glass and the concrete and the feeling of being trapped in here. I like to choose when I’ll work and what I’ll work with and for whom, not being forced to endure all kinds of shit just to keep a job. I hate the fact that there’s no wild nature nearby, and no animal life except for rats, and that people here are so removed from everything that they don’t even see what’s right in front of them.”

Naruto’s expression softened as Sasuke ranted. When Sasuke realized this, he suddenly felt stupid.

“I get it,” Naruto said and touched Sasuke’s shoulder. Sasuke brushed him off.

“Are you really sure you do?” he bit out.

Then he got up and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Naruto and his ceaseless understanding. He didn’t understand anything, he just thought he did. Sasuke took a shower and after a while he calmed down a bit. He regretted snapping at Naruto who was just being caring.

Naruto had left for work when Sasuke came out of the bathroom. Time passed excruciatingly slowly while Sasuke waited for him to come back. Half past two he went out to buy them dinner. He picked Naruto’s favorite and added some tempura scampi on the side. There really was a chill in the air now, and the sky was overcast.

When Naruto came down the hallway to their room a little later, he didn’t have the usual spring in his steps, and he wasn’t whistling. He looked somber when he opened the door and stepped inside. He brightened up a little when he smelled the food.

“You got my favorite!” he said excitedly and barely had time to take off his shoes and jacket before he kneeled on the floor and started unpacking the boxes.

Sasuke had waited to eat until he arrived.

He knew that Naruto would have forgiven him already, especially with the food-apology, but he felt like he needed to do it in words too.

“I didn’t mean what I said this morning,” he said.

“I know,” Naruto said with a smile. “And besides, I probably need to stop thinking I understand everything.”

“No… Don’t take what I said seriously. I was just being grouchy. I like it when you… I mean… it’s nice to know that you care.”

Naruto’s smile brightened a little. “I get what you meant earlier, though. I like this city in some ways because life is simpler, but at the same time it’s kinda boring and, like… too structured. I miss the freedom of being on the move and just taking every day as it comes.”

For some reason, Sasuke felt very touched by Naruto’s words. He had perhaps thought that they were more different than they actually were. He hadn’t expected Naruto to miss the same things as him.

“I wasn’t just making up what I said about the snow, though,” Sasuke said. “We should get out of here before winter comes and we risk getting stuck on this side of the forest.”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I’m excited to go back home too.”

“I’m _not_ looking forward to going back to Konoha,” Sasuke said.

“Duly noted,” Naruto said, but there was a small, pleased smile on his lips.

They decided to stay for another week so that Naruto could give his employer a proper warning before he quit, but also so that he could earn them some extra money to buy provisions for the journey.

In the meantime, Sasuke was mostly bored. He walked aimlessly around the city during the day and waited for Naruto in the evening. The free time gave him a lot of time to think about all the things he wanted to do with Naruto once he came home, which resulted in them spending most of the evening in bed.

They got bolder as they became more confident about what they were doing and Sasuke found that he completely forgot to worry about appearance when he was with Naruto. He’d always felt a certain shame in the wake of sexual acts, but not with Naruto. Maybe it was the way Naruto made him feel so natural about it. He never made fun of anything or tried to make Sasuke do something he wasn’t comfortable with. Instead they could laugh at things together if something didn’t work out or if they did something embarrassing.

Naruto looked at him differently too. He looked at Sasuke as though he meant everything to him and like he was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. Sasuke was used to getting compliments on his looks, often either backhanded or as a means to possess him, but rarely with honesty. He’d learned not to care what others thought, but somehow a sense of not being valuable aside from his assets crept in anyway.

It resulted in him subconsciously believing that being possessed by someone was the only way to feel close to someone. That being desired was a form of love.

But Naruto had taught him otherwise. Sasuke didn’t know what it was about Naruto that constantly drew him back from the edge, but each time they were together he seemed to learn something new about himself.

And now Naruto was his, and it seemed as though he wouldn’t leave, not if the way he looked at Sasuke was any indication. Sasuke felt whole under that gaze. He felt accepted just the way he was, not for his looks alone but for something that was uniquely him, and he hoped he could make Naruto feel the same way.

“Wake up, sunshine,” Naruto said and slapped Sasuke’s ass.

Sasuke flinched.

“Oh fuck, sorry,” Naruto said. “I forgot.”

He rubbed Sasuke’s ass in apology.

“Why the fuck are you waking me up this early?” Sasuke grumbled. “The sun hasn’t risen yet.”

“We’re leaving today!” Naruto said brightly. “We talked about getting a head start.”

_That was before we spent the night fucking_ , Sasuke was about to say, but Naruto was already up and about. He was always in a good mood in the morning. Sasuke was not. Once, Naruto had tried to wake Sasuke up for some morning sex. Suffice to say, he didn’t try that again.

They left at sunrise and walked in silence for most of the morning. The road that led from the city to the tree-covered hills to the north was crowded at this time of the day. Finally they came to a crossroads and picked the smaller road that led straight northwards.

They had gotten a new map in the city so they knew what the most direct road was. They would have to venture into what was locally called the Land of the Sleeping Dragon in order to avoid the winding path they had taken last time through the Eternal Forest.

The road was well-used and led them through easy terrain. After a few days they reached a smaller part of the Eternal Forest that they had to get through to get to the lands on the other side, but the road they followed didn’t slowly disappear like the path they had followed into the forest earlier. It was obviously regularly in use, but thankfully they didn’t meet a lot of people so they decided to speed up a bit.

When it became too dark to travel safely, they made camp in a small clearing. Naruto slept with his head in Sasuke’s lap while Sasuke kept watch. He ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair and enjoyed the silence of the forest.

By midday a few days later they were out of the forest again and moved deeper and deeper into a strange, barren land.

There were few trees around except small birches and bushes, and after a while those too were getting sparser until all they could see around them were miles and miles of moors that stretched across rolling hills. Far in the distance in the north they could see a black mass of mountains that seemed to be perpetually covered in clouds.

In the evening it started snowing and they had no cover.

“I think I preferred the forest,” Naruto said.

“Without a map we’d probably get lost in there like last time,” Sasuke said, “out here we at least can see where we’re headed.” 

He didn’t mention that he would have preferred the forest too. The sky seemed unnaturally vast up here, and the land seemed to have no end. It disappeared in a purple haze in all directions.

They camped by a brook where they pitched one of their tents. It offered cover from the snow and insulation for them both as they bundled up close to each other.

The next morning, everything around them was covered in a thin layer of snow, but it melted quickly under the sun that shone down on them from a clear sky.

The road had long since disappeared, but they staked out their direction at night and used the increasingly strange stone formations around them as guides during the day. With the map they could keep a somewhat straight course, which would have been impossible in the forest. The land became more and more bare and soon there was nothing growing on the ground except some tufts of yellow grass among the rocks.

Towards the evening a few days after they left the forest, they reached a valley of steaming water.

“Hot springs!” Naruto said excitedly.

They camped near the hot springs for the night. Unfortunately it was impossible to bathe in them because they were too hot, but they offered some much needed warmth.

By now the snow was coming down in thicker and thicker sheets until it didn’t melt away in the morning anymore. They were at a much higher altitude than when they had traveled towards the Sun City. Up here, everything was so silent, but not in the same oppressing way as the Land of Silence. Here everything felt untouched. They felt almost like intruders.

They rarely saw animals or birds, and the few they encountered were difficult to catch. They had to use their absolute best stealth abilities to catch something, which resulted in Naruto almost always failing. He got impatient way too easily and charged too soon. But hunger honed their skills and after some time they became much more adept at hunting these shy, quick mountain creatures. 

They traveled for one and two weeks without seeing a single human being. No houses or roads or even paths were to be seen anywhere. They had to forge their own path but usually that was fairly simple in a landscape that consisted mostly of rocks and moss.

Eventually the landscape around them changed and became lusher, which mostly meant that they had to fight their way through sometimes waist high shrubbery. This slowed them down considerably and was a constant struggle until they finally one day found a road. 

It was barely more than a narrow dirt path, but at that point it had been so long since they saw signs of civilization that they could have kneeled and kissed the ground. Naruto actually did. 

It took them a while before they managed to locate their position on the map. They weren’t far from the Land of Fog, which explained, well… all the fog.

There was a distinct chill in the air, but it wasn’t snowing just yet. By nighttime it started raining, and the raindrops were cold as ice. They had entered into a pine forest and put up their tent under a huge pine tree, but by the time they could take shelter, everything was already damp and cold. They decided to take off all their damp clothes and huddled together under two layers of sleeping bags.

“You’re so warm,” Naruto muttered.

“Your feet are cold!” Sasuke hissed. 

“Just let me warm them up against you,” Naruto whined.

Sasuke grumbled under his breath but he allowed Naruto to wedge his feet in between his own.

When they woke up the next morning, the fog was gone and the bright sunlight was making all the tiny droplets on the trees and the grass shine like crystals. There was a pond nestled into the moss nearby, and ghostly sheets of fog were drifting across it.

As they walked on, they saw thin veils of mist slither among the dark pine trees like sentient beings headed for some obscure destination.

The dirt path they had followed so far was starting to more and more resemble a road. They walked undisturbed through the fairytale landscape until they reached a main road. The forest thinned out and soon they were in the countryside. The fog gave way to a clear blue sky and a bleak but still warm autumn sun. According to the locals this was unusual because the fog was normally so thick that you could barely see a few feet in front of you.

Naruto wondered out loud how people got anything done when they couldn’t see anything but a thick wall of fog outside their front door. They continued further into the Land of Fog and as they did, the fog soon returned. The road brought them slowly uphill into a landscape that seemed to just steadily get steeper and steeper until suddenly one day the fog ended as abruptly as it had started and they walked out into a bright, sunny landscape. The green, lush hills rose further and further upwards from where they were standing.

The country’s capital resided in those hills that rarely were covered by the fog. It was a small town, not quite a city, and the people who lived there were very friendly and chatty.

Naruto loved it, of course, but Sasuke got a little standoffish at the sometimes very inquisitive questions. He retreated early to their room at the inn. Naruto joined him an hour or so later. Sasuke felt the mattress dip on Naruto’s side of the bed. He’d been drifting in and out of sleep, trying to wait up for Naruto but eventually he’d succumbed to exhaustion.

Naruto leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Are you awake?” he whispered.

“Mhm.”

Sasuke heard the rustle of clothes as Naruto undressed. Then he slipped under the sheet and scooted closer to Sasuke. Sasuke turned over onto his back and slid his palm up Naruto’s arm to his neck. He caressed the soft hairs at the base of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Naruto grinned when they parted a minute later. “Do you want to…?”

“It’s been a while since the last time,” Sasuke said.

Naruto ran his fingers lightly down the length of Sasuke’s body, pushing away the sheet in the process until Sasuke was lying there completely naked.

“Did you wait for me?” Naruto said.

He encircled Sasuke’s cock with his thumb and index finger and stroked it lightly.

Sasuke let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. Naruto kept caressing him with an almost maddening gentleness, his fingers just barely brushing Sasuke’s skin.

He went from teasingly caressing his cock to brushing his fingers along his inner thigh, briefly touching his balls before moving to his ass.

Sasuke was shocked to find how responsive he was. The sweet touches left him trembling.

He grabbed the back of Naruto’s neck and yanked him down for a desperate kiss.

“I want you inside me,” he whispered harshly.

Naruto groaned. “Yes.”

He practically flew off the bed to find the lube and then they made a sloppy job of prepping. They were both so eager, but Sasuke wasn’t relaxed enough for Naruto’s cock. Sasuke felt so desperate to be filled that at the moment he didn’t care if Naruto pushed on, but Naruto refused to. He pulled back and attempted to regain his wits. Sasuke calmed down too in the absence of Naruto’s body. He reached down to ease himself open with his fingers.

“Fuck,” Naruto muttered in admiration.

Sasuke met his eyes between his spread knees.

“I wish you could see yourself,” Naruto said. “You look amazing.”

Sasuke blushed a little and tried to cover it behind a cheeky retort. “You’re not looking so bad yourself.”

And it was true. Naruto was kneeling, his messy hair almost brushing into his eyes, his biceps flexing as he spread Sasuke’s legs even wider, his cock firm and thick.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a second as he hit his prostate just perfectly. He pulled out his fingers and Naruto shuffled closer. He arranged them so that his thighs were supporting Sasuke’s thighs, one hand steadying Sasuke’s hips as he pushed the tip of his cock against Sasuke's asshole again.

Sasuke was not prepared for this change of angle and how it would make him feel. Naruto was watching as his cock slid into Sasuke, his blue eyes growing darker, completely focused on his task. He slid in more easily than before and suddenly he was pushing right against Sasuke’s prostate.

Sasuke let out a moan that was torn out of a place deep inside of him.

Naruto looked up in surprise, but then his expression changed into something more mischievous. He thrust down again and again, and each time Sasuke lost a little more of his composure. He was already insanely turned on, and the direct hits to his prostate was giving him such an overwhelming pleasure that kept building and building like shockwaves that flowed through his body.

A part of him wanted it to stop because giving in was so frightening. It meant giving himself completely over and trusting that Naruto supported him. But this was Naruto, and honestly, when it came to Naruto Sasuke didn’t know how not to let go.

Sasuke was intensely aware of Naruto’s gaze fixed firmly on his face as his eyelids fluttered and he groaned desperately.

“Oh fuck… m-more,” he said, unable to articulate properly what he needed.

Naruto tried to accommodate. He thrust harder with sure, downward strokes, watching Sasuke’s face the entire time and adjusting his rhythm until he saw Sasuke go slack-jawed.

“Oh… F-faster…” Sasuke moaned.

Naruto did as ordered. He shifted so that he had his full strength behind every thrust, and grabbed a pillow that he shoved under Sasuke’s hips to keep him elevated at the same, sharp angle.

Then he started moving in a way that slowly relieved Sasuke of his sanity piece by piece. He completely forgot about being watched or heard. He lost all ability to criticize and monitor himself. At one point he was bracing his hand against the headboard to keep Naruto from fucking him into it, and his whole body was shaking with the flurry of thrusts that Naruto was showering him with. His breath came out in one long string of small, desperate gasps.

Naruto’s eyes were so firmly focused on him that he felt undressed even further than his naked skin. He didn’t shy away from that gaze, but met it steadily. He trusted Naruto so deeply that he managed to do something that he’d had a lot of trouble doing ever in his life. He let go.

He came so dizzyingly hard that for a moment the only thing that existed was the whiteness that expanded behind his eyelids. His mind felt woolen and blissed out in the aftermath, void of any thoughts.

He was aware that Naruto had stopped moving but that he was still inside of him. It took Sasuke a moment to realize that he was still hard. He hadn’t come.

“Is this okay?” Naruto asked carefully.

“Yeah.” Sasuke liked the feeling of having him inside of him.

“Can I keep going…?”

Sasuke sighed contently. “Yeah.”

Naruto reapplied lube and started off slowly and carefully. It was a strange but nice feeling to be so relaxed and pliable as Naruto thrust into him. He felt a bit sensitive at first but it slowly turned into a pleasantly budding desire.

He let out small groans in time with Naruto’s more desperate sounds.

“Is this good?” Naruto grunted.

Sasuke was a little overcome with the pleasure that was building quicker and quicker, even though he’d just come.

“It’s good,” he gasped. “Oh, yes…”

“Fuck,” Naruto groaned. “Fuck Sasuke, that’s…”

He tried to focus on Sasuke while he got himself off, fucking him harder and deeper as he found that he could go all out.

“Sasuke,” Naruto moaned desperately.

“Ohh, _keep going_ ,” Sasuke moaned gruffly. “ _Fuck_ … _N-Naruto_ …”

Naruto made a sound that was almost like a growl. He thrust into Sasuke with bruising force and choked on a moan as he stilled, his whole body going rigid.

Sasuke moaned as he felt Naruto come inside of him. He could swear he felt the come push at his insides. He grabbed his cock and with just a few gentle caresses he came dry, undulating and moaning underneath Naruto’s increasingly heavy body.

Afterwards they lay awake side by side, trying to catch their breaths.

They stared at each other. Something had changed between them. It was different even than the first time they had sex. It was like they were connected even more deeply. They had both seen each other in the clutches of complete ecstasy, had been the ones to bring the other to that point.

Sasuke didn’t think it was possible to come closer to someone than that.

He blinked drowsily. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Naruto’s blue eyes watching him unflinchingly, as though he never wanted to look away.

\-----

They walked slowly hand in hand as they left the small town. There was something unhurried about everything. Naruto didn’t care if they reached Konoha now or in a year. Sasuke wasn’t in a hurry either. Normally he’d be all business and keeping up a steady speed, but now he seemed content with just wandering along.

They decided to leave the main road and take a small detour that led them to a beautiful vantage point. They could see right across the land to some yellow and orange hills in the distance.

“That must be the land of miso,” Sasuke said.

“Finally,” Naruto said. He imagined all of the ramen he would be eating in a few days time. It had been so long since the last time he had proper ramen.

They sat next to each other and watched the sunset that filled the sky with an explosion of pink and orange.

Naruto leaned his head on Sasuke’s shoulder. “I’m glad I’m here with you,” he said.

Sasuke nuzzled Naruto’s hair. “Me too.”

Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s hand. They sat there leaning against each other as the sky slowly darkened. When it started getting cold they moved closer to some large rocks for shelter and made a fire.

They should be sleeping so that they could get up early the next morning, but neither of them wanted to break up the pleasant atmosphere yet. They talked about stuff they’d rarely talked about before. Naruto talked about Jiraiya and the time he traveled with him. Sasuke talked about his time with Orochimaru, hesitantly at first but soon he opened up more.

Naruto tried to listen without getting angry every two seconds, but it was difficult. Sasuke’s time there had mostly been filled with insane amounts of training – by Sasuke’s own choice –, sometimes potentially dangerous experiments – not by his choice but with his approval, usually because he hoped to benefit from it – and trying to dodge around the constant scheming from Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Naruto also got the feeling that he’d seen some things that he didn’t want to talk about. Certain experiments that were so gruesome he wished he could forget it. But they seemed to have happened to others and not to him.

“I hate him,” Naruto muttered.

Sasuke shrugged. “He taught me a lot. That was why I went with him.”

Naruto hesitated. “Do you regret it?”  
Sasuke didn’t answer immediately. He stared into the fire. 

“No,” he said at last. “I don’t think it could have happened differently. My fate was sealed the moment I got that curse mark.”

“I feel like Kakashi or some other grown-up should have reacted differently,” Naruto said. “They should have helped you somehow.”

“We’re talking about the place that lets orphans grow up alone,” Sasuke bit out. “Those people can’t even help themselves.”

“I hate what that place did to you,” Naruto said.

Sasuke snorted. “It figures you’ve forgiven everything that happened to you but you can’t get over what happened to me.”  
“I haven’t forgiven everything,” Naruto said quietly. “I’ve just accepted that it happened, that it’s impossible to change it and that all I can do is move on.” He grinned. “And prove everyone wrong by becoming the strongest shinobi in the world! Well, one of the strongest.”

“Sometimes I wish I had your optimism,” Sasuke said. “I’m not sure I can ever forget… The truth weighs too heavily on me.”

Naruto didn’t know what to say. He wished there was something he could do to make everything easier for Sasuke. That there was some way he could carry the burden for him. He hated to see him in pain. 

“Don’t think too hard,” Sasuke said. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

He was looking at Naruto with a crooked smile, obviously trying to lift the mood.

Naruto grabbed a dried up twig from the pile of firewood and threw it at Sasuke. 

“Shut up,” he muttered. 

Sasuke put another log on the fire before laying back in the grass, his hand behind his head. 

Naruto scooted closer to him. 

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently either,” he said quietly. “Having you as my goal made me stronger. I had to become strong in order to save you.”

He half expected Sasuke to huff and protest against the notion that he had needed saving, but he just met Naruto’s gaze and gave him a ghost of a smile. 

“You’re something else,” Sasuke said. “Absolutely everyone else gave up on me, as they should. You’re the only one stupid enough not to give up.”  
“Not stupid,” Naruto said. He stretched out on the ground next to Sasuke, his head propped up one hand. “Just madly in love.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He smiled. “Well… That does explain it.”

“I literally thought about you day and night,” Naruto admitted. “It’s amazing that it took me so long to understand my real feelings for you.” 

“I thought about you too,” Sasuke said. “Though I tried not to. It hurt too much.”

Naruto put his right hand on Sasuke’s stomach and Sasuke freed his own hand so that he could interlock his fingers with Naruto’s.

They were quiet for a while. The silence of the night was only broken by the soft crackling from the fire. 

“Do you feel anything with this hand?” Sasuke asked, poking the prosthesis. 

“Eh, not really. I can feel enough to know I’m holding something, but it’s not the same as having a real hand.”

“I bet it helped you through some lonely nights.”

Naruto blushed. Sasuke was spot on.

“Did you?” Sasuke said smugly.

“Yeah,” Naruto muttered. “It’s so easy to pretend it’s someone else’s hand.”

“Whose hand did you pretend it was?” Sasuke said.

Naruto’s whole face was turning tomato red at this rate. He was glad it wouldn’t be too obvious in the soft light from the fire.

“No one special,” he muttered.

“Oh, really?”

Naruto sighed. “I think you know already.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

Naruto took a deep breath. “I thought about you, okay?”

Sasuke was trying to hide his grin by biting his lip. “You did?”

Naruto wished it was possible to combust from embarrassment. “Not every time. Just some times…”

“I thought about you too,” Sasuke said. “When I was traveling alone and trying to figure things out… I sometimes…” He hesitated. “I thought about you following me and finding me and… I wondered how you’d feel inside of me.”

Naruto was having trouble catching his breath.

“I thought about you returning to Konoha and coming to my room in the night,” he said. “I imagined you watching me for a while, getting turned on by it, and joining me.”

“I wish I had been bold enough to do that,” Sasuke said.

“My favorite fantasy was when you straddled me and sank down on me.”

Naruto’s breathing was getting heavier. He always used to come so hard from that fantasy.

“I didn’t fantasize about how it happened,” Sasuke said. “I just imagined the weight of your body over me and your cock against my thigh, hard and dripping wet.”

Naruto drew in a sharp breath.

“And then you’d thrust into me and you’d fill me up completely.”

Naruto leant over Sasuke and kissed him hard.

“Do I live up to your fantasy?” Naruto said against Sasuke’s lips.

“No,” Sasuke said. He smirked when Naruto pulled back to give him an offended look.

He ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair. “You surpass it.”

* * *

Here's the infamous map! There's a small part of the map of the shinobi nations in the bottom left corner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about cutting that getting-kinda-steamy scene short and then geek out about maps instead lol. Way to kill the mood...


	11. Return

As they continued on their journey, the late night talks became more frequent. Some nights they just wanted to sleep because they were so exhausted, but other times they made camp early and talked long into the night. Sasuke even talked about Itachi and briefly brushed the subject of his clan.

In turn, Naruto told Sasuke what he knew about his own parents, about the various meetings with them and how it had made him feel, how he felt more at ease now after having been given the chance to properly say goodbye to them.

“I wish I could get the same chance,” Sasuke said. “At least I got to see Itachi again one last time.”

Naruto caressed Sasuke’s cheek, catching a tear on his thumb. He could see now how deep the wound was and he felt foolish for once having compared their pain. They had both experienced great loss, but that didn’t mean their pain was identical. Sasuke’s pain was rawer, like a festering wound that never quite healed, while Naruto’s was like a million wounds scarred over but always present, never fading.

Maybe it was impossible to compare them, but at least Naruto did understand on a deeper level. He understood what it was like to be completely alone. Now neither of them would have to experience that anymore, not as long as they had each other.

Sasuke fell asleep quickly. Naruto watched him for a while, smiling fondly at how he looked so soft and vulnerable in his sleep. Eventually, he fell asleep too.

He woke up again because he heard Sasuke say his name. It was the middle of the night and the fire had burned out, so it took a moment before Naruto’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. Sasuke was sleeping restlessly next to him. His breathing was fast and shallow and his hand flailed as though he was searching for something. Naruto carefully took his hand and held it in his own. Immediately, Sasuke calmed down.

“I’m here,” Naruto murmured and kissed the back of Sasuke’s hand.

After a few seconds, Sasuke was sleeping peacefully again.

It took them many days to reach the Land of Miso. They were grateful when they could finally step out of the fog and see colors again. The Land of Miso seemed to almost be too brightly colored after the greyness of the Land of Fog. There were huge fields as far as they could see in all kinds of colors, from red to yellow to green.

They took their time and walked leisurely along, taking in everything. Sometimes they just held hands and forgot that they were headed somewhere. They took pit stops whenever they felt like it. Maybe they saw a tree they wanted to rest under, or a beautiful view they wanted to enjoy.

They walked through picturesque small villages with stone fences and sloping, green fields. One of the larger villages had a square around which a few shops were situated. Sasuke wanted to go inside a second hand bookstore, like he always did. In the meantime, Naruto went across the street to ogle a shop that sold all kinds of seasoning and miso and soy sauce.

He was daydreaming about ramen when someone tapped his shoulder.

Sasuke stood behind him with a paper bag in his hand.

“Did you find anything interesting?” Naruto asked. 

“Maybe,” Sasuke said cryptically.

They spent some more time in the town before they continued on. They made camp in the afternoon on a field of grass below a cliff where they had a nice view of the whole valley below them.

Sasuke took two books out of the brown paper bag and handed Naruto one of the books. It was a paperback that was in pretty good shape. The cover was subtly sensual, showing a man’s hand sliding along the muscled stomach of another man. The title was Silent Whispers. It was a bit subtler than the other erotica book Naruto had read, but it was still obviously erotica.

“I saw it and since that type of book seemed to be something that kept you reading, I thought you’d like to… keep improving your reading skills.”

Naruto smirked. “Sooo… do you want me to read it out loud for you?” He wriggled his eyebrows. “It could spice up our sex life.”

“As opposed to the last time,” Sasuke retorted, “when you read in silence and got all excited alone?”

Naruto blushed. “Did you… notice?”   


“No,” Sasuke said, “not that you were reading, but it was kinda difficult not to notice how long your ‘bathroom’ breaks could be sometimes.”   


Naruto groaned. “Was I that obvious?”

“We’ve been practically living on top of each other for such a long time so I didn’t find it strange that you had certain needs to take care of. But I noticed that you… seemed to be doing it pretty often.”   


“What about you?” Naruto asked curiously. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sneak off even once.”

Sasuke shrugged. “I’m not that… I don’t feel the need to… do it that often.”

“But you’re okay with… with me?”

“I would let you know if I didn’t,” Sasuke said. 

Naruto nodded. He trusted Sasuke not to do anything he didn’t like. He suddenly felt more appreciative of the fact that so far, Sasuke had been just as eager as Naruto.

Naruto started reading after they finished dinner. He didn’t read out loud, but he asked Sasuke several times about long, difficult words that seemed entirely unnecessary when there existed so many similar but shorter words. 

And then he came over something that didn’t make sense at all.

“What’s 69?” Naruto said.

“Are they doing that already?” 

“What? They aren’t doing anything yet… What is it then?”   


“I’ll show you,” Sasuke said. 

He sat up and then he laid down with his head in the opposite direction of Naruto and scooted closer so that his face was right next to Naruto’s crotch, and Naruto’s face was right next to Sasuke’s.

Sasuke glanced over at him from underneath half-lowered lashes, looking coy and challenging at the same time. 

Naruto swallowed thickly. “Oh… I see.”

Sasuke flicked the button of Naruto’s pants. Then he leaned down and nuzzled the front of Naruto's pants. Naruto struggled to catch his breath. Was… was Sasuke going to do it…? He hoped he would. He had daydreamed about it many times, wondered how it would feel, what it would be like to have Sasuke’s mouth down between his legs. He dropped the book on the ground and focused solely on Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up at him again. “It’s called 69 for a reason,” he said, gazing pointedly down at his untouched self. 

Naruto pouted. “But I want to watch you.”

Sasuke’s smile was velvety. “Then you’ll have to make it up to me afterwards.”

Naruto nodded eagerly. 

He could barely hold back a soft moan as Sasuke undid his pants and took his cock in his hand. He sighed when he felt Sasuke’s breath on his hardening dick. It was already leaking precum and without warning Sasuke lapped it up with the tip of his tongue.

Naruto gasped. Sasuke stroked him languidly. His eyes were on Naruto’s face, and Naruto couldn’t for the life of him look away as Sasuke slowly and deliberately leaned in and took the head of Naruto’s cock in his mouth.

Naruto’s breathing stuttered.

“Oh _ fuck _ ,” he muttered.

He had to close his eyes because he could come to that sight alone.

Sasuke swirled his tongue around the head of Naruto’s cock, coating it with saliva, before he sucked it into his mouth again.

Naruto huffed. “Oh damn,  _ Sas’ke _ …”

Sasuke pulled off and started giving Naruto’s cock small kitten licks that turned into longer licks and then his mouth was at the base.

Naruto had to look again as Sasuke gave his cock one long lick from base to tip. His eyes were closed this time and he had a serene look on his face, like he was really enjoying what he was doing.

He swirled his tongue lazily around the head of Naruto’s cock, taking in more of him in slow, careful strokes.

Somehow, Sasuke’s slow, gentle pace was even more enticing than if he’d gone all out. Naruto couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Sasuke’s eyes were closed but suddenly he opened them and met Naruto’s gaze. A mischievous glint passed them. He pulled back, swiped his tongue over the head of Naruto’s cock, and then he suddenly took it deep into his mouth.

Naruto moaned loudly. “S-Sas’ke! Oh fuck…”

Sasuke hollowed his cheeks while his tongue slid along the underside of Naruto’s cock and it was just too much. Naruto had been holding back for too long already. He managed to gruffly gasp a warning before he came, and Sasuke pulled away, letting the cum land on the ground instead of in his mouth.

Naruto breathed hard as he came down. He flopped back down on the grass.

Sasuke tucked him in before turning around and stretching out next to Naruto.

Naruto hesitated before asking, “Have you done that before?”

“Yes, once,” Sasuke said. “I didn’t like it much, but I thought I’d try it with you, see if it was different.”

“And it was?”   


Sasuke smiled. “It was.”   


“Better?”

“Much better.”

Naruto grinned. 

He wanted to ask more about Sasuke’s past experiences, but at the same time he didn’t want to pry. Sasuke wasn’t very forthcoming about his past partners so maybe he didn’t like talking about it.

Then he remembered that he’d promised to return the favor. He reached down to cup Sasuke’s cock and was surprised with how hard he was. Sasuke drew in a sharp breath as Naruto massaged him gently. 

“Do you want me to…?” Naruto asked.

“Only if you want to,” Sasuke said.

Naruto hesitated. He did wonder how it felt to take Sasuke’s cock into his mouth. 

He undid Sasuke’s pants and took his warm, throbbing erection in his hand. He scooted downwards and could swear he felt Sasuke shiver as his breath fanned over his cock. Then he took the head into his mouth. 

Sasuke groaned. His fingers buried into Naruto’s hair, tugging lightly. Encouraged, Naruto tried to copy what Sasuke had done to him. He found that he didn’t mind the taste at all. Feeling Sasuke writhe and hearing him groan gave Naruto a sense of power. He sucked and licked gently, making everything as wet as possible, relishing in the soft whimpers from Sasuke. He used one hand on the base of Sasuke’s cock, thrusting in time with his sucking. 

He could sense that Sasuke was close already, so he was prepared when he gasped out a warning. Still, Naruto didn’t pull off. He felt a rush of excitement as Sasuke came in his mouth. 

“Fuck,” Sasuke groaned. “Fuck, Naruto…”

Naruto sat up and dried his mouth with the back of his hand.

He leaned over Sasuke with a grin. “Not so bad for a first time, huh?”   


Sasuke chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to swallow.”   


“It was kinda hot,” Naruto admitted. 

It was getting darker and colder so they put more wood on the fire and cuddled close, wrapped safely into thick blankets that kept the chill at bay.

Naruto nuzzled the back of Sasuke’s neck and pressed himself as close as he could to his back.

“You wondered about my past experience,” Sasuke said all of a sudden. 

Naruto blinked. He’d been about to fall asleep but now he forced himself to stay awake.

“Yeah, but…”   


“I want to tell you… If you really want to hear it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“There are just a few… I don’t really feel comfortable sleeping with strangers, but I was curious. My first time was with a guy I met while I was traveling after the war. He noticed that I was inexperienced and I think that’s why he wanted me. That, and the fact that I ‘played hard to get’, as he said.”

“What an asshole,” Naruto huffed. “Did he treat you okay though?”

Sasuke hesitated. Naruto caressed his cheek and pushed a lock of hair behind his ear.

“I guess he did,” Sasuke said eventually. “At least he cared about making it good for me. But when I think back on it I just get an unpleasant feeling.”

“Did you do it… willingly?”   


“I thought I wanted it, but at the same time I was reluctant because I didn’t want to do it with just anybody. But I was a bit tipsy that night and...” Sasuke hesitated again. “I had traveled with him for a while. We had ended up working together to drive away a band of outlaws from a village and he was impressed by my strength. He was a rouge nin and I guess I was drawn to the danger that he exuded.”

Naruto rubbed Sasuke’s waist soothingly to show that he was listening.

“He obviously liked to make strong people submit to him,” Sasuke continued. “And I guess I wanted to submit to someone…” He stopped. “I’ve always thought it was a weakness,” he continued haltingly, “that I wanted to be… taken. So when he kept talking down to me, I let him.” 

Naruto bit his teeth together. That man had obviously used Sasuke. Had studied him and played on his weaknesses. He realized his fingers were digging into Sasuke’s skin, and relaxed his grip on him.

“The worst part,” Sasuke said quietly, “is that I thought it was more than sex. I thought that… I don’t even know. That we had some kind of friendship or companionship?” he laughed bitterly. “I thought I was too jaded to get fooled by something like that, but apparently not.”

“It sounds like he manipulated you,” Naruto said. “He found your weaknesses and used them against you. It wasn’t your fault. It could have happened to anyone.”

“I worried that something like that would happen to you too,” Saske said.

Naruto rested his head against Sasuke’s. “You don’t have to worry about me. You know I can take care of myself.”

“But you’re so naive,” Sasuke said. “You trust everyone you meet.” 

“I don’t -”   


“Do you remember that man who talked to you at the bar in the Conch? The first time you got drunk?”

Naruto frowned. “Um… No…”

“He kept following us for days afterwards.”

“What?! I didn’t even notice… Why didn’t you tell me?”

“And the middle aged women,” Sasuke continued, “the ones with the cat you saved?”

“Yeah, I remember them.”

“They were hitting on you.”

Naruto almost choked on his own spit. “They were just nice middle aged ladies! Why are you so cynical, Sasuke?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Sometimes you have to be a bit cynical.”

Naruto mulled over what Sasuke had said. When he thought about it, he remembered thinking that those ladies were almost uncomfortably friendly… 

“I guess there are many shapes of evil out there…”

“And some of them you can’t ever talk sense into.”

“... Is that a dig at me?”   


“It is. I’m impressed you noticed.”

Naruto snorted. “I get it. I can be too accepting sometimes. I guess I should be a bit more cynical.”

“Don’t ever change,” Sasuke said. “I’ll be cynical enough for the both of us.”   


“Okay,” Naruto said happily. “You kinda already are though.”

Sasuke elbowed him. Naruto chuckled.

He put his arms around Sasuke and pulled him closer. When he finally drifted off to sleep it was with Sasuke scent and warmth close and secure against him. 

\------

If they travelled at a quick pace, they would reach the capital of Miso in just three or four days, but the weather was nice even though it was getting colder so they ended up keeping a slow, even pace without needing to verbally agree on it.

But a few days later the north wind came in with a chilled promise of snow, and then huge clouds started massing on the horizon. They sped up and reached the capital just in time to get inside before the first snow started falling. Naruto sat in front of the window in their room at a cozy, traditional inn and watched the fluffy snowflakes fall.

“It’s Christmas soon,” Naruto said. “I’d almost forgotten.”

Sasuke took off his dusty travel clothes and picked up the yukata and the towel that was laid out on their bed. 

“Do you miss Konoha?” he asked.

Naruto smiled wistfully. “Sorta. I always hang out with my friends on Christmas eve, at least I did while most of them were still single…” He lapsed into silence. Then he looked at Sasuke over his shoulder and smiled. “But now I have you.”

Sasuke felt warmed by that smile. He returned it.

“We should do something nice on Christmas Eve,” he said.

Naruto nodded, still smiling brightly. “Yeah!”

Sasuke went to take a shower. Naruto had already showered before him. He was calling dibs even though they could shower together, but Sasuke didn’t mind waiting. Naruto was always quick while Sasuke liked to take some time in the shower so it wasn’t much of a point in sharing anyway.

When Sasuke was done, Naruto was already asleep.

Sasuke kissed the top of Naruto’s head and slid under the covers. Immediately, a fast asleep Naruto pulled him into a tight embrace. Sasuke didn’t mind that much, even though he knew he’d get hot during the night. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with the soothing feeling of Naruto’s steady breath against his nape.

They stayed for a while in the Land of Miso. Naruto was enjoying it a lot. Finally he had found his people. Nearly everyone in the city seemed to be as addicted to ramen as he was. At the very least, most of the people seemed to take food very seriously, and every restaurant and tiny food stand served the most exquisite cuisine. Naruto soon found his favorite restaurant. It was reminiscent of Ichiraku’s, and was owned by a kindly, old man who loved to discuss food with Naruto.

Sasuke mostly just let them carry on while he enjoyed his meal in silence.

He found that he was content with staying in the city as long as Naruto wanted to. They were closer to home now, close enough that the customs were pretty similar, and he realized that this was what he’d been missing when they were in the Sun City.

It didn’t matter to him if they reached Konoha in a week or in months. He just wanted to enjoy the time he had with Naruto before they returned home.

He didn’t know what would happen once they returned to Konoha. How would they balance their relationship? Would their differing goals separate them? The thought was too depressing so he chose not to think about it at all.

On Christmas Eve the streets were covered with lights and a small drizzle of snow was falling, enough to cover the ground and the roofs. The smell of fried food wafted through the air. They went to a restaurant where the atmosphere was cozy and intimate and they probably had a bit too much to drink.

When they finally staggered out into the cool December air, Sasuke was laughing at something Naruto had said and leaning heavily on his shoulder. Naruto leaned heavily on Sasuke in turn, nuzzling his cheek.

Sasuke glanced up to see a woman passing them with a child in hand. She turned her nose up at them, but Sasuke didn’t care. He was too happy to care what others thought. He grabbed the back of Naruto's head and planted a kiss right on his mouth.

Naruto looked surprised but he was smiling so Sasuke kissed him again, with more feeling. The kiss lasted until someone wolf whistled at them.

They broke apart and Naruto chuckled. “Maybe we should go somewhere less crowded…”

He grabbed Sasuke’s hand and led him down the main street, and then down a side street, until they found themselves in a quiet park with a huge fountain lit up from within. They weren’t the only ones there. There were couples sitting close together on nearly every bench. 

Naruto caught Sasuke’s gaze and smiled. He led him further along to a tree with low hanging branches that offered them some privacy. The branches were covered in icicles that tinkled when they brushed past them.

“I have something for you,” Naruto said shyly.

He took something out of the pocket of his jacket. It was haphazardly covered in gaudy, green wrapping.

Sasuke’s hands were shaking slightly as he took it. He blamed it on the cold.

Inside was a simple silver chain with a small pendant carved from obsidian shaped like a crescent moon.

“I know it’s a bit silly,” Naruto muttered, “But I saw it and I thought about you… and me. It felt significant, the way we always oppose each other, you know? And yet we fit so well together.”

“Opposites attract,” Sasuke said. “And we’re not that different when it comes down to it.” Then he added, “Close your eyes.”

Naruto looked confused but he did as Sasuke said.

Sasuke took the gold chain he’d been carrying in his pocket and slid it on around Naruto’s neck. Naruto recoiled a little when he felt the cold metal against his skin. His breathing quickened ever so slightly as the cool pendant rested in the hollow of his throat.

“I had the same idea,” Sasuke said sheepishly.

Naruto opened his eyes and touched the round, white stone that was attached to the gold chain.

“You…” He grinned. “You bought it from the same place!”

“I didn’t know you got one too.”

They looked at each other and chuckled.

Naruto took the silver chain and put it around Sasuke’s neck in turn, and then they kissed, Naruto’s back pressed up against the tree, the ice-covered branches hanging down around them like a veil.

They slept in the next morning and ordered breakfast in bed. It was ramen, of course, but Sasuke didn’t mind because it was made from scratch and tasted great.

Naruto was wearing nothing but the necklace that Sasuke had given him and Sasuke couldn’t take his eyes from the sight.

Naruto caught him staring and grinned over his bowl.

“Like what you see?” he slurped up his noodles in a less than seductive way.

Sasuke chuckled. “Shove it.”

“Where?” Naruto said innocently. “I’ll shove it, just tell me where.”

“You know where.”

“Oh yeah?” Naruto ran his hand down Sasuke’s back to his ass. “Is this a good place?”

His voice had become seductively darker and Sasuke found that despite the miso broth residues on Naruto’s chin, he was getting turned on.

Naruto kissed him and Sasuke softened into it. 

He put down his bowl and soon all thoughts of food were forgotten.

They stayed inside the whole day. Normally it would have made Sasuke go stir crazy to be cooped up for so long, but Naruto was extremely adept at keeping him occupied. In fact, they barely left the bed.

Sasuke lost count of how many hours passed by as they got lost in each other. It was all a blur. A blur of bliss and pleasure.

At one point Sasuke pushed Naruto down on the futon and straddled him.

Naruto had such a reverent look on his face that Sasuke forgot to be self-conscious. He wasn’t good at it at first, wasn’t used to being the one in full control, but he quickly found that he liked it. Naruto had both hands on his ass, his eyes at first firmly fixed on his own cock sinking into Sasuke, but as they got lost in it their eyes met and suddenly they couldn’t look away. Sasuke felt so connected to Naruto in that moment, it was like they were one person. They moved in perfect sync, their own pleasure mirrored on the other’s face.

“Naruto,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“Fuck,” Naruto muttered thickly. “I – I love you too, Sasuke. So fucking much.”

Sasuke wanted to keep his eyes open, but as he neared his climax he couldn’t help it. He felt Naruto’s hands at his hips, grounding him as he came hard, his blood rushing in his ears and his body shaking with the strain. He slumped forward, his hand landing in the mess he’d made on Naruto’s chest.

Naruto carefully flipped them over so that Sasuke was underneath him.

“Can I continue?” he asked.

Sasuke nodded. “You don’t have to ask every time. You know I like it.”

Naruto kissed him and then he slid into him again, moving carefully at first but soon losing himself to the sensation and thrusting with abandon. Sasuke watched his face as he was about to come, grimacing and moaning softly.

He closed his eyes as he felt him come inside. 

They cuddled up afterwards, still sticky but too exhausted to get up and take a shower yet. 

“I meant it,” Naruto muttered against Sasuke’s throat.

“Hm?”   


“What I said… about… that I love you.”

Sasuke felt wide awake all of a sudden. He had forgotten about that. He had said it purely in the moment, overwhelmed by his feelings. But that didn’t make it less true.

“Me too,” he muttered against Naruto’s hair. He couldn’t stop smiling. “I love you too.”

New years eve passed in much the same sense as Christmas had. They were too wrapped up in each other to care that all around them, people were sharing the holidays with family and friends. Normally, Sasuke hated this time of the year. Now he didn’t mind it much at all. It was nice to see how excited Naruto got about the fireworks. They found a secluded place in a huge tree just outside of the town where they could watch the fireworks in peace.

They sat close together on the branch. Naruto leaned his head on Sasuke’s shoulder.

“I wish we could stay here forever,” Naruto said.

Sasuke wished so too.

“I don’t want to go back to Konoha,” he whispered. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t,” Naruto said.

Sasuke sighed. “So when you start training to become Hokage and I’m out traveling the world, everything will just magically work out?”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“You’re always so convinced everything will sort itself out. What if sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to?”

Naruto straightened up and looked at Sasuke. “Do you really think it won’t work out?”   


Sasuke shrugged. “We have entirely different goals. You believe in Konoha and I… don’t. How can we make that work out?”

Naruto became thoughtful. He stared up at the explosion of colors above them, stark against the black sky. 

“So you…” Naruto hesitated. “You’re not planning to stay?”

“What am I supposed to do there? It’s not like I’ll be taken into active duty as a shinobi again.”

“So you’re just gonna travel the world forever?”

“I don’t know,” Sasuke admitted. “I haven’t thought that far.”   


Honestly, traveling the world for longer periods seemed less tempting if Naruto wouldn’t be there with him.

“Then I’ll go with you,” Naruto said firmly.

“What?!” Sasuke nearly fell off the branch. “You can’t do that. You’re supposed to become Hokage.”

“I don’t care about that,” Naruto said. “If you can’t stay in Konoha, then I can’t either.”   


Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. Naruto looked completely serious and Sasuke knew him well enough to see that he meant it.

“No way,” Sasuke said. “I won’t allow it. You’re not throwing your dream away because of me.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Naruto said, sounding frustrated. “I can’t imagine being away from you for months at a time, let alone years!”

Sasuke realized that neither could he. They stared at each other for a long moment. 

Sasuke was the first to look away. 

“I’m not sure I’m welcome in Konoha,” he muttered.

He hadn’t actually meant to say it, it just tumbled out. He thought about Sakura who seemed to barely be able to look at him, and the others their age that he hadn’t talked to since he left as a thirteen year old. He thought about the wary looks he got from civilians and the judgmental looks he got from other shinobi. As if they had any right to judge him. 

“If you’re thinking about Sakura,” Naruto said, “I don’t think you have to worry. I know she wants to forgive you, she just needs some time. And the others… well, you won’t get to know them better if you never see them…”

“Even though I grew up there,” Sasuke said, “even though my family lived there for generations and my ancestors helped build the village, it doesn’t feel like my home anymore.”   


“But it can become your home again. I’ll help you. I’ll do everything in my power to make it a better place for you. A better place for everyone.” 

Sasuke knew that he would. 

“I’ll try,” Sasuke said at last. “For you, I’ll try.”

Naruto smiled. “That’s enough for me.”

Sasuke scooted closer to Naruto and rested his head on his shoulder. Naruto put his arms tight around him. The sky was completely dark now and everything was silent after the loud explosions of the fireworks had died out. 

Sasuke closed his eyes and listened to Naruto’s steady heartbeat. Slowly the world around them faded away until the only thing that remained was Naruto’s tight embrace and his warm breath on Sasuke’s neck as he leant over him, encapsulating him in his arms as though he was as desperate to preserve this moment as Sasuke was.

_ Epilogue _

They returned to Konoha in April. After leaving the Land of Miso they had taken a round of the north so that Naruto finally could see the Broken Isles. Unfortunately he didn’t get to see the sea monster.

Sakura was waiting for them at the gates when they arrived since Naruto had sent her a note telling her they were coming home.

She hugged Naruto so hard that Sasuke was pretty sure he heard his ribs crack.

“It’s so good to see you again,” she said. “I’ve missed you a lot.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the hug continued for an unnecessarily long time. He cleared his throat.

Naruto drew away from Sakura.

“By the way,” he said brightly and grabbed Sasuke’s hand. “We’re dating now.”

Sakura didn’t look surprised at all.

She sighed and shook her head. “You know, I was sceptical, but I’m glad you sorted it out. You both look much happier.”

She finally looked at Sasuke. “Take good care of him and don’t you dare hurt him.”

“As if I could,” Sasuke said, meeting her gaze steadily.

They stared at each other for a long moment until Sakura finally smiled tightly. “I’ll hold you to it.”

“Yeaah, okay,” Naruto said. He tugged on Sasuke’s hand and they walked together through the gates. “That was extremely weird. I told you, Sakura, I’m strong enough to handle Sasuke.”   


“And  _ I _ told  _ you _ that… ugh, nevermind. You’re just too naive sometimes.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Naruto whined.

Sasuke couldn’t help but be overly aware of Naruto’s hand in his own as they walked through the streets of Konoha. Naruto didn’t even seem to be aware that they were being blatantly obvious, but to Sasuke’s surprise no one around them seemed to care much. Naruto steered them towards Ichiraku’s, of course, and Sakura joined them. 

It turned out to be a rather pleasant evening. Sakura even forgot to be mad at him so it felt almost like their old team 7 days, except Naruto wasn’t fawning over Sakura, and Sakura wasn’t fawning over Sasuke. Instead Naruto and Sasuke were holding hands under the table, even though Sasuke had to let go every time he had to eat. Eventually Naruto just fed him so that he didn’t have to let go. 

Sakura rolled her eyes and told them they were gross, but she was smiling while she said it.

“Say, Sakura,” Naruto said, “Why weren’t you surprised that we were dating?”

Sakura snorted. “It wasn’t difficult to see that the two of you were head over heels for each other. Or, at least it was easy to see that Naruto was.”

They both stared at her. “What?!”

She leered. “It was basically written on your foreheads. Everyone knew.”

Naruto turned red. “E-everyone?”

Sakura shrugged. “Kiba asked me right out if you two were fucking.”

“Sakura!” Naruto exclaimed, scandalized.

She ruffled his hair. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”

Of course, that just made him more flustered. 

Sasuke glared at her and she reluctantly drew back. 

“He’s a bit overprotective, isn’t he?” she stage whispered. 

Naruto snorted. “That’s an understatement.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Sasuke said drily. 

The two of them burst into chuckles. Sasuke endured it long-sufferingly, knowing they were laughing at his expense. But he had to admit, it was nice to see them laughing again. It had been so long… too long since he felt this kind of community with others. He’d always used to feel like he was on the outside looking in. 

“Hey,” Naruto said. “You’re smiling. What are you thinking of?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Just thought about something nice.”

Not long after their return, they moved in together. Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure about the decision, but he had to agree that it made sense seeing as they rarely got to spend time together otherwise with their type of lifestyles.

Sasuke still left the village as often as possible, but he usually timed it so that he left when Naruto went away on missions. Sometimes he traveled for months before he came back to Konoha, other times he assisted Naruto on his missions, though unofficially. 

They tried to make it so that they always were in Konoha at the same time, so that they could make the most of the time they had together. Which was why living together made a lot of sense. 

After having traveled together for such a long time, they knew each other well and were used to living close together. They knew that they could deal with it. Naruto was much neater and tidier than he gave the impression of being, and he understood when Sasuke needed time alone.

They made it work surprisingly well.

Sakura had been right when she said that no one of Naruto’s friends would be surprised that they were dating. It was impressive how willingly they took Sasuke back in and accepted that he was Naruto’s boyfriend now. They trusted Naruto’s decision fully.

With time, the mistrust towards Sasuke among the villagers abated too, seemily as a result of Naruto’s obvious acceptance of him. People trusted their hero’s instincts more than anything.

Things were working out much better than Sasuke could have hoped. He started to tentatively make himself a home in Konoha. The bad memories and old issues were still there, but now he could allow himself to believe that with time things could change. He could help make a change. 

And as long as he had Naruto by his side, things didn’t seem so impossible. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end (for real this time lol)! Thank you so much for reading and liking and commenting on this story ^^


End file.
